An exodus of Palestinians from Gaza would be “catastrophic,” warns the head of the UN refugee agency
An exodus of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip would be “catastrophic,” UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) chief Filippo Grandi warned in an interview with AFP on Wednesday, for which efforts should focus on a new ceasefire. “I hope there is no exodus of Palestinians,” Grandi said. “A solution is very, very important [de la crisis humanitaria y de la llegada de ayuda a Gaza] to prevent an exodus that would be truly catastrophic,” he added.
“We must never forget that two-thirds of Gaza’s residents are already refugees from the first Arab-Israeli war of 1948-1949,” he stressed, referring to the exodus or “Nakba” of 1948, when some 760,000 Palestinians fled or were expelled from their homes after the founding of the State of Israel.
Israel launched a violent retaliatory offensive against Gaza after Islamist militias invaded its territory on October 7, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping around 240, according to Israeli authorities.
According to the Hamas government press office, the offensive in Gaza has so far left 16,248 dead, mostly women and children.
The Rafah crossing on the border with Egypt is the only exit point from Gaza that is not under Israeli control.