A building was destroyed after an Israeli air strike on the city of Rafah, Gaza Strip, February 12, 2024. Photo: AFP/VNA

UN relief chief Martin Griffiths said that the military campaign in Rafah could seriously damage humanitarian operations, which are already facing many difficulties. He said more than half of Gaza’s 2.3 million population is "crammed in Rafah, staring death in the face."

The international community has been warning against the "dangerous consequences" of a ground invasion in Rafah, said Griffiths, adding that the Government of Israel cannot continue to ignore these calls.

On the same day, Pakistan and Cuba protested Israel's military attack on Rafah. South Africa urged the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to put pressure on Israel to stop its assault. Jordan's King Abdullah met with US senators in Washington to promote a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called on world leaders to end the Gaza crisis by resolving the root cause of the problem and establishing an independent Palestinian State.

In Egypt, President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi discussed the latest developments in the Gaza Strip in separate meetings in Cairo with Director of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) William J. Burns and Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani.

According to Gaza health authorities, since it broke out last October, the conflict between Hamas and Israel has killed more than 28,000 Palestinians.