“A full scale invasion on Rafah would be a humanitarian catastrophe,” he wrote on X.

“We appeal to Israel not to proceed. We urge all parties to work for a ceasefire and lasting peace,” he said.

Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tel Aviv will invade Rafah even if it reaches a ceasefire and captive release agreement with Hamas.

The WHO chief also stated WHO teams “urgently need sustained, unimpeded and safe access” in Gaza.

The ongoing “man-made starvation” and blockade of humanitarian aid and services by Israeli forces is increasing the risk of epidemics that can be fatal, he wrote on X.

“We need a ceasefire,” he added.

The UN chief, Antonio Guterres, also stated an operation in Rafah would have a “devastating impact on Palestinians in Gaza”.

“All members of the Security Council, and many other governments, have clearly expressed their opposition to such an operation. I appeal for all those with influence over Israel to do everything in their power to prevent it,” he urged.

He added that more than 1.2 million people were seeking refuge in Rafah after fleeing from Israeli bombardments in the north of Gaza.

“They have very little to eat, hardly any access to medical care, little shelter, and nowhere safe to go. In northern Gaza, the most vulnerable – from sick children to people with disabilities – are already dying of hunger and disease. We must do everything possible to avert an entirely preventable, human-made famine,” Guterres said.

“The idea that we will stop the war before achieving all its objectives is out of the question,” Netanyahu said during a meeting with families of Israeli soldiers, as quoted in a statement from his office.

He said the Israeli army would enter Rafah to destroy Hamas’ battalions there “with or without a deal.”

Netanyahu added the evacuation of civilians from Rafah has begun.

“We have begun the evacuation of the population in Rafah. We will be there soon.”

Home to more than 1.4 million displaced Palestinians, Rafah is the last remaining area in the Gaza Strip where Israel has not yet formally announced the entry of its troops to continue the onslaught against Palestinians.

Netanyahu’s statements came amid reports of a new cease-fire proposal being discussed by Hamas and Israel to end the conflict in the Gaza Strip.

The new proposal includes Israel’s willingness to discuss the “restoration of sustainable calm” in Gaza after an initial release of hostages on humanitarian grounds, two Israeli officials told news website Axios.

Hamas is expected to deliver its response to the truce proposal later this week.

Israel has waged an unrelenting offensive on the Palestinian enclave since a cross-border attack by Hamas last Oct. 7 which killed some 1,200 people.

More than 34,500 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and thousands of others injured amid mass destruction and severe shortages of necessities.

More than six months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins, pushing 85% of the enclave’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

“We estimate that there are over 10,000 missing people under the rubble of hundreds of destroyed homes since the start of the (Israeli) aggression,” a statement by the Civil Defense said.

It noted that those missing people are not included in the Health Ministry death toll list, “therefore, the number of martyrs exceeds 44,000.”

Its rescue teams started to recover bodies that are completely decomposed, from under the rubble from buildings in northern Gaza, it added.

Israel has waged a brutal offensive on Gaza since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7 last year, which Tel Aviv says killed nearly 1,200 people.

More than 34,500 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 77,700 others injured amid mass destruction and severe shortages of necessities.

More than six months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins, pushing 85% of the enclave’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.