ATHENS

Medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) on Monday warned that a Israel ground attack on Rafah in southern Gaza Strip would be "catastrophic."

“Israel’s declared ground offensive on Rafah would be catastrophic and must not proceed. As aerial bombardment of the area continues, more than a million people, many living in tents and makeshift shelters, now face a dramatic escalation in this ongoing massacre,” MSF Director General Meinie Nicolai said in a statement.

“Nowhere in Gaza is safe, and repeated forced displacements have pushed people to Rafah, where they are trapped in a tiny patch of land and have no options.

“All of this has taken place in full view of world leaders. It has now become near impossible to work in Gaza, all our attempts to provide lifesaving care to Palestinians have been diminished by Israel's conduct of hostilities.”

She called on the government of Israel "to immediately halt this offensive, and to all supporting governments including the United States, to take concrete action to bring about a complete and sustained ceasefire."

More than half of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have found some kind of shelter in Rafah, as Israel bombards the rest of the blockaded enclave in response to the Hamas incursion of Oct. 7. But they could be forced to flee as Israel plans a ground attack, despite international outcry.

Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip has killed more than 28,000 people, most of them women and children, and caused mass suffering. The initial Hamas attacks killed 1,200 people.