Under threat of Israeli attack continues to be found today Rafa, in southern Gaza, where Hamas fears “tens of thousands of dead” among civilians who will be given “safe passage” to leave, according to the Israeli prime minister.

Over 1.3 million Palestinians live in Rafah, according to the United Nations, the vast majority of whom are civilians who fled the four-month-old conflict between Israel and Hamas. Benjamin Netanyahu ordered on Wednesday that plans for a military operation be drawn up.

“Victory is near. We will make it. We will catch the last terrorist battalions of Hamas in Rafah, which is the last stronghold”stated Netanyahu in an interview with ABC News that will air today and excerpts of which were released late yesterday.

“We will do this while ensuring a safe passage for the civilian population to be able to leave” from the point, added the Israeli prime minister.

Hamas warned for “destruction and carnage that can lead to tens of thousands of martyrs and injured”.

The Israeli operation is causing concern abroad and especially in Saudi Arabia, whose diplomacy yesterday warned of “very serious consequences” for the civilian population from an attack on Rafah.

“The continued violation of international law and international humanitarian law underscores the need for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to prevent Israel from causing a humanitarian catastrophe,” according to Riyadh’s statement.

Yesterday, new Israeli strikes were launched targeting Rafah, resulting in the death of five police officers, according to Palestinian security sources. Israeli forces said two high-ranking members of the Islamist Palestinian group were killed in one of the strikes.

For his part, the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, warned late yesterday about a possible attack by the Israeli army on Rafah, which would amount to an “unthinkable humanitarian disaster”.

“I repeat the warning sent by several EU member states that an Israeli attack on Rafah would cause an unimaginable humanitarian disaster and serious tensions with Egypt,” Borrell said in a post on Platform X (formerly Twitter). “The resumption of negotiations for the release of the hostages and the cessation of hostilities is the only way to avoid bloodshed,” he added.