US admin: US will not support invasion of Rafah without protecting civilians; Netanyahu vows to defy allies; UN it will be "a disaster beyond imagination"

If Western governments did not want a massacre in Rafah, they should not have supported a ground invasion of Gaza in the first place. The conditions in Rafah are not any different from the conditions of Gaza Strip in general: millions of people crammed in a small piece of land, isolated from the rest of the world; no one can leave or enter.

Western governments did not have to see the killing and wounding of 110,000 people and the destruction of 80% of the homes in parts of Gaza now under the control of occupation forces to realize that a ground invasion of Rafah will be catastrophic... "a disaster beyond imagination", to quote UN medics.

There is only one sure way to stop the attack on Rafah: stop the war through a UNSC resolution; something the US government prevented all other members of the UNSC from stopping the killing every time a resolution for a cease fire was put for a vote--three times thus far.

So when US National Security Council spokesman draws a red line against the invasion of Rafah, the last urban area in Gaza Strip still untouched by the US provided weapons of home destruction and killing, many would be skeptical. 

US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby confirmed that Washington will not support any major military operation in Rafah in the Gaza Strip without an implementable plan that guarantees the care of 1.5 million refugees there.

Kirby explained that America has concerns about some Israeli military operations and how they are launched, saying that his country needs to ensure that civilians are protected.

 On the other hand, Kirby said that Washington did not see any evidence that the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) stole humanitarian aid in the Strip.

 Netanyahu has reaffirmed his determination to launch an offensive in Rafah, defying international criticism.

 The city is crammed with some 1.5 million Palestinians from other parts of Gaza seeking refuge.

 His comments come as the German chancellor, on a Middle East trip, restated his opposition to the plan.

 But Mr Netanyahu said "no international pressure will stop Israel" from achieving all of its war aims.

 "If we stop the war now before achieving all of its goals, the meaning is that Israel had lost the war and we will not allow this," Mr Netanyahu told a meeting of his cabinet.

 He said Israel must be able to continue its war, with the aims of eliminating Hamas, releasing all hostages and ensuring Gaza "no longer pose a threat".

 "To do this, we will also operate in Rafah."

 Mr Netanyahu said the offensive in city at the southern tip of the Gaza Strip "will happen" and will take "several weeks".

 He also lashed out at his critics, saying to them: "Is your memory so short?

UN Medics: Rafah invasion would be a disaster ‘beyond imagination’