800,000 civilians have been evacuated from Rafah since the IDF began its operation in the eastern part of the city, the UN said this morning (Sunday).
“800,000 people are on the road having been forced to flee since the Israeli forces started the military operation in the area on 6 May,” UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini wrote on X.
“Every time, they are forced to leave behind the few belongings they have: mattresses, tents, cooking utensils and basic supplies that they cannot carry or pay to transport. Every time, they have to start from scratch, all over again,” he added.
"The areas that people are fleeing to now do not have safe water supplies or sanitation facilities," Lazzarini claimed.
"The claim that people in Gaza can move to 'safe' or 'humanitarian' zones is false. Each time, it puts the lives of civilians at serious risk," the UNRWA chief said. "Gaza does not have any safe zones. No place is safe. No one is safe. "
Lazzarini ended his post by calling for a complete ceasefire between Israel and the Hamas terrorist organization.
The IDF launched an operation in eastern Rafah two weeks ago and seized control of the Rafah Crossing between Gaza and Egypt. The final four Hamas battalions are located in Rafah, and their defeat is necessary to remove Hamas from power and as a threat in Gaza.