GENEVA

The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) expressed concern for civilians on Tuesday over a possible Israeli assault on Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on the border with Egypt. 

“The question is, where will the civilians go?” Philippe Lazzarini told reporters after meeting member states at the UN in Geneva.

“There is absolutely no safe place in Rafah anymore. The fear is that the number of people killed and injured might again significantly increase.”

The UN official said there are fears that the number of people killed and injured might significantly increase in a conflict in which already more than 100,000 people have been either killed, wounded, or are missing.

“We are still talking about a very large military offensive in the middle of a sea of displaced people,” Lazzarini, who is Swiss, said.

“They are asked to move. But the question is where to move.”

From Rafah, he said that over a 20-kilometer (12-mile) stretch, “you only see plastic makeshifts (tents) where hundreds of thousands of people are already living.”

Lazzarini lamented the short-sightedness of those calling for UNRWA's dismantling, saying terminating its mandate would weaken the world's ability to respond to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

“I have talked to the member states about all these calls to have UNRWA dismantled, to be terminated,” said the UNRWA chief.

“I have warned about the impact… I have said that these calls are short-sighted,” Lazzarini said.

Israel claimed 12 of the agency’s staff took part in the Oct. 7 attack on the towns and villages around Gaza.

Lazzarini said, “We have initiated an investigation and are calling for cooperation for this investigation, reminding everyone that it is of utmost importance that the government of Israel also cooperate.”