Leaked US cable acknowledges ‘catastrophic’ cost of Israel’s Rafah invasion
Israel has been threatening to invade Rafah for weeks, where over one million internally displaced Gazans have sought shelter
An internal cable leaked by The Intercept on 5 March shows the US is well aware of the humanitarian catastrophe that will take place if Israel proceeds with its plan to invade Rafah, which it claims to be Hamas' last stronghold.
An area of 62km squared, with over 1.5 million Palestinian civilians internally displaced and living in refugee camps, Rafah has come under increasing threats of an Israeli ground assault.
The potential invasion has come under international condemnation and has increased the rift between US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
However, the US has continued to make weapons shipments to the Israeli army, including about a thousand MK-82 500-pound bombs and KMU-572 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) each, despite the seeming eagerness of the Israeli state to invade the densely populated south of Gaza.
The leaked cable shows that the US acknowledges that the impact of such an invasion would be cataclysmic.
“A potential escalation of military operations within Southern Gaza’s Rafah Governorate could result in catastrophic humanitarian consequences, including mass civilian casualties, extensive population displacement, and the collapse of the existing humanitarian response, multiple relief actors have warned USAID’s Levant Disaster Assistance Response Team,” the cable written by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance reads.
Among the “key points” mentioned in the cable, an Israeli offensive in Rafah would “block the entry and transport of fuel and life-saving humanitarian assistance throughout the enclave,” further worsening the state of Palestinians who have already faced a near five-month-long siege by the Israeli army.
The cable explains that there is no viable plan of evacuation for the Palestinians displaced in Rafah. Israel’s option to the Palestinians is to live as refugees in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, which the latter refused completely.
The US cable also acknowledges that “a large portion of those residing in Rafah, including elderly populations, exhausted IDPs, and those with reduced mobility, would likely remain in the governorate during the potential military operation due to lack of viable alternatives, heightening the risk of mass casualties.”
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller has previously mentioned that the US would not support a full-scale military operation in Rafah. US Vice President Kamala Harris said that Israel should produce a credible humanitarian plan before entering Rafah, and USAID head Samantha Power said that the US would not support such a military operation without such a plan in place.
The US recently airdropped aid into Gaza as it continues to support Israel politically and militarily.
Australia's support of Israel has now led to its prime minister being referred to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for being an “accessory to genocide in Gaza,” a title which may soon be attached to many pro-Israel heads of state.