Israeli attack on Rafah would cause humanitarian disaster, says German foreign minister

During a press briefing following her meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock criticized Israel's intention to initiate a ground offensive in Rafah, stating that it would lead to a "humanitarian catastrophe."

"More than half of Gaza's population is currently seeking shelter in Rafah. 1.3 million people are waiting there in a very small space. They don't really have anywhere else to go right now," Baerbock said.

"These people cannot simply vanish into thin air. If the Israeli army were to launch an offensive on Rafah under these conditions, it would be a humanitarian catastrophe in the making," she said.

Netanyahu, in a statement posted on X, pledged a "forceful action" in Rafah following the evacuation of civilians.