United Nations, February 16 (RHC)-- Fears are mounting over a planned Israeli ground attack on some 1.4 million people in Rafah.  Even the U.S. has said the move would be a “disaster” without a realistic evacuation plan. The U.N. and others say there is no plausible way to evacuate Rafah.

Martin Griffiths: “An evacuation to a safe place in Gaza is an illusion, and we need to push back on the calls that we’re all hearing from the authorities to say,’ You must help us move the people of Gaza to some safe place.’ This is an illusion.”

Israeli airstrikes in Rafah continue to kill Palestinian civilians. This is the mother of one of the victims, speaking earlier today.

Fathia Sobh: “My daughter’s husband is from the Zoroub family. She died with all her family. I live in Miraj, and she lives in Rafah. When I heard the news, I started screaming, asking my children to take me to see her, but they told me 'Where should we take you at night? Stay here.' I told them to take me to see her, but they said that she was unrecognizable. And I said that even if it was only her flesh, I wanted to see her.”

Close to 29,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 68,000 wounded in Israeli attacks since October 7.