Winsland: Although the Israelis know the situation well, they are planning a war in Rafah, where 1.2 million people are gathering...

The United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wensland, said that the possible Israeli attack on the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip would constitute a “real disaster.”

Wensland said during a press conference on Wednesday that he is at the United Nations headquarters in New York to discuss how to chart a way out of the current crisis in Gaza with the permanent members of the UN Security Council and Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

He indicated that he knows very well what are the obstacles that prevent this from happening politically, stressing the need to overcome these obstacles.

The UN coordinator believed that the solution “will not be quick or easy, and it will require some very hard diplomatic work,” calling for action with the active parties on the ground.

Regarding Israel's readiness to launch an attack on the city of Rafah, he said: "Although the Israelis know the situation well, they are planning an active war in Rafah, where 1.2 million people are gathered."

He pointed out that the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings are the only active entry points for aid, warning that the Israeli attack on Rafah would constitute a "total catastrophe."

He said, "It is difficult to find words to say to the people in Gaza who have lost everything," and continued, "It is very difficult to preach hope when you are sitting in a safe place, to people sitting in the middle of hell."

Earlier Wednesday, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned of the consequences of any Israeli action on the city of Rafah.

While the American website "Axios" said that Secretary of State Anthony Blinken informed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defense Minister Yoav Galant of Washington's "deep" concern about the expansion of military operations in Rafah.

Since October 7, 2023, the Israeli army has been waging a devastating war with American support on Gaza, which, as of Wednesday, left “27,708 killed and 67,147 injured, most of them children and women,” according to the Palestinian authorities, and caused “massive destruction and an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe.” According to the United Nations.