Rafah attack despite Hamas nod for truce sparks concern
China DailyPalestinians displaced from Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip following an evacuation order by the Israeli army arrive in Khan Younis on Monday. AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE After Hamas accepted cease-fire proposals brokered by Egypt and Qatar, Israel's latest attack on Rafah has again dampened hopes of a long-awaited truce and raised concerns of even more suffering in the Gaza Strip. Dennis Francis, president of the United Nations General Assembly, said on social media platform X that Israel's attack on Rafah was "inconsiderate" and "nothing can justify it". However, a statement released by the Israeli Prime Minister's Office said, "While the Hamas proposal is far from meeting Israel's core demands, Israel will dispatch a ranking delegation to Egypt in an effort to maximize the possibility of reaching an agreement on terms acceptable to Israel." UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk warned that civilian deaths, suffering and destruction "were set to increase beyond already unbearable levels "following Israel's orders to Palestinians to evacuate parts of Rafah.