14.30 MESZ – Scholz: Israeli offensive in Rafah imminent
Federal Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier (SPD) has again called for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. An Israeli ground offensive in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah was imminent, Foreign Minister Steinmeier warned in Berlin. The reports of intensive Israeli troop movements in the southern Gaza Strip and the associated artillery and air strikes suggest that an Israeli ground offensive in Rafah is imminent, Steinmeier said. An end to the fighting was overdue.
The suffering of the civilian population in Gaza is immeasurable, the Foreign Minister said. Many thousands of people have fled their homes and are now living under the most difficult conditions without access to food, water and medical care, Steinmeier said. He urged Israel to open humanitarian corridors to allow aid workers to enter.
13.30 MESZ – Exodus from Rafah
According to the UN, around 20,000 Palestinians have fled the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah following reports of imminent Israeli ground offensive. Residents were streaming north to the city of Khan Yunis. UNRWA spokesman Christopher Gunness spoke of a mass exodus. Gunness said aid organizations were deeply concerned about the fate of the civilians in Rafah and urged Israel not to launch a ground offensive.
12.00 MESZ – UN calls for an immediate ceasefire
The United Nations has called on Israel and Hamas to immediately cease fire in the Gaza Strip. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in New York that the escalating violence could lead to a complete breakdown of law and order in the Gaza Strip. He warned that the conflict is causing unacceptable suffering to civilians on both sides. Ban called for a ceasefire without preconditions.
Kind regards E. Thompson.
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