Safe zones in Gaza are an 'illusion': UN Relief Chief Martin Griffiths

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News Websites
15 Feb 2024 17:33
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UN Relief Chief Martin Griffiths has addressed "Israel's" invasion of Rafah and its call for the evacuation of Palestinians, saying there exists zero safe zones in Gaza.

United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths speaks during a press conference. (AP)

UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths said safe zones in Gaza are an 'illusion', as "Israel" calls for the evacuation of Palestinian refugees in Rafah ahead of its invasion.

"There is not anywhere safe for people to go in Gaza, it is an illusion to think there is some wonderful part of Gaza where you can go and be safe from the war because the displacement continues ... as the war spreads."

On Tuesday, Griffiths also addressed the Rafah invasion, warning that it poses a grave risk of leading to a "slaughter in Gaza" and jeopardizing a "fragile humanitarian operation at death’s door."

Griffiths reiterated that over 1 million people, constituting more than half of Gaza's population, are concentrated in Rafah, facing imminent death with severe shortages of food, limited access to medical assistance, and a lack of safe shelter.

The entire Gaza population, including those in Rafah, is enduring an unprecedented assault marked by its intensity, brutality, and extensive reach, as per Griffiths.

The scenario we have long dreaded is unraveling at alarming speed.

Today, I’m sounding the alarm once again: Military operations in Rafah could lead to a slaughter in Gaza. They could also leave an already fragile humanitarian operation at death’s door.https://t.co/oXpMNkVx75 pic.twitter.com/rUNfCGRIDK
— Martin Griffiths (@UNReliefChief) February 13, 2024

Back in January, a field source informed Al Mayadeen that massive explosions, craters, and intense ground shocks in Gaza City were the outcome of the Israeli military's deliberate demolition of numerous residential buildings, particularly in the southern part of the city.

The Israeli invading forces are conducting operations in a linear fashion from west to east, with the explosions coordinated alongside airstrikes from fighter jets and naval bombardments.

Nowhere is safe

Almost two months ago, analyses and satellite images of Gaza showed that "nearly 70% of Gaza’s 439,000 homes and about half of its buildings have been damaged or destroyed."

Reports emphasized that "the bombing has damaged Byzantine churches and ancient mosques, factories and apartment buildings, shopping malls and luxury hotels, theaters, and schools," adding that "much of the water, electrical, communications and healthcare infrastructure that made Gaza function is beyond repair."

Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) Secretary General Christopher Lockyer said that the Gazan infrastructure being in shambles renders the delivery of humanitarian and medical aid impossible. Moreover, Altaf Musani, the World Health Organization Director of Health Emergencies Interventions revealed that a total of 827 registered attacks have targeted medical facilities in Gaza, completely destroying the health system.