EU: Rafah military operation must be avoided at all costs

She stated she is “very concerned about the risks a full-scale offensive on Rafah would have on the vulnerable civilian population”, which currently numbers more than 1.5 million.

“This needs to be avoided at all costs,” she continued.

She also spoke about the rampant hunger among the population in Gaza, saying that it is “facing famine” and that this is unacceptable.

“It is critical to achieve an agreement on a ceasefire rapidly now, that frees the hostages and allows more humanitarian aid to reach Gaza”, she added.

Israel continues to block aid from getting into Gaza as thousands of trucks continue to pile up at Egypt’s border with the territory.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has also warned that Israel’s invasion of Rafah would cause “a humanitarian catastrophe”, saying it was “the urgent matter and priority” to prevent the attack from happening, according to the Wafa news agency.

He made the remarks during his meeting with Brazil’s Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira in Ramallah, the report added.

It comes after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told a cabinet meeting that Israeli troops would pursue the planned ground offensive in Rafah despite fears of mass civilian casualties.

Since October 7, Israel’s military campaign has killed at least 31,600 Palestinians in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s health ministry, and displaced nearly 2 million of its residents.