'A sort of Egyptian nightmare': UN aid chief warns of possible spillover of Gazans into Egypt

The UN aid chief Martin Griffiths cautioned that if Israel initiates a military operation in the border town of Rafah, there’s a risk of Palestinians overflowing into Egypt. Over a million Palestinians reside in Rafah, located at the southern edge of the Gaza Strip adjacent to Egypt. Many have sought refuge in tent camps and makeshift shelters following Israeli airstrikes in other parts of Gaza. While the Israeli military aims to root out Islamist militants and release hostages held since the Hamas attack in Israel on 7 October, they haven’t disclosed plans for civilian evacuation. “The possibility of a military operation in Rafah, with the possibility of the (border) crossing closing down, with the possibility of spillover… a sort of Egyptian nightmare …is one that is right before our eyes,” Reuters quoted Martin Griffiths as telling diplomats at the United Nations in Geneva. He said the notion that the people of Gaza could evacuate to a safe place was an “illusion.” The United Nations has said that an Israeli offensive on Rafah could “lead to a slaughter.” Speaking at the same meeting as Griffiths, Mirjana Spoljaric, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), said the absence of a clear evacuation plan, including for the sick and elderly, would bring suffering to a new level. “The suffering on both sides, the carnage we have seen since the 7th of October will reach unimaginable depths if operations on Rafah are intensified the way they have been announced,” Reuters quoted Spoljaric as saying. With inputs from agencies