On 8 February, UNICEF issued a statement warning that an escalation of Israel's attacks in Rafah "will mark another devastating turn in a war that has reportedly killed over 27,000 people - most of them women and children."
Israeli Prime Minister has stated that he ordered the military to develop a plan to both evacuate civilians from Rafah and defeat remaining Hamas battalions.
There are approximately 1.5 million Palestinians in Rafah seeking refuge from Israel's military invasions in the rest of Gaza.
UNICEF's Executive Director, Catherine Russell, emphasizes that "thousands more could die in the violence or by lack of essential services, and further disruption of humanitarian assistance."
Russell continues "We need Gaza's last remaining hospitals, shelters, markets, and water systems to stay functional. Without them, hunger and disease will skyrocket, taking more child lives."
UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has also warned that the expansion of Israel's war on Gaza into Rafah will "exponentially increase what is already a humanitarian nightmare."
Read the full statement here.