Israel Gaza: Joe Biden says Israel must protect vulnerable in Rafah
Israel must do more to protect the more than one million Palestinians sheltering in Rafah, the southern Gazan city, according to Joe Biden.
The US president has said civilians who are “packed” into Rafah are “exposed and vulnerable” and must be protected.
Rafah has been subjected to heavy Israeli air strikes in recent days, with more than 100 people reported dead in the latest round of strikes.
Last week, Israeli’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israeli troops were preparing to expand their ground operation to Rafash.
UN human rights chief Volker Türk said any assault would be “terrifying” and many civilians “will likely be killed”.
More than half of the Gaza Strip’s population of 2.3 million is now crammed into the city on the border with Egypt, which was home to only 250,000 people before the war between Israel and Hamas erupted in October.
Many of the displaced people are living in makeshift shelters or tents in squalid conditions, with scarce access to safe drinking water or food.