The UN called the Israeli ground operation in Rafah a "tragedy beyond words"

On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that an invasion of Rafah will proceed regardless of Hamas hostage negotiations.

“Tragedy beyond words,” says UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths of an Israeli ground assault in Rafah, southern Gaza.

“The simplest truth is that a ground operation in Rafah will be nothing short of a tragedy beyond words. No humanitarian plan can counter that,” Griffiths says.

Israel will attack Hamas's last major bastion in Gaza, saying the terror group cannot be crushed without it. The metropolis shelters 1.5 million Palestinians from the war.

“The world has been appealing to the Israeli authorities for weeks to spare Rafah, but a ground operation there is on the immediate horizon,” says Griffiths.