UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron said that he is concerned over Israel's planned ground operation in the southern Gazan city of Rafah.
"Deeply concerned about the prospect of a military offensive in Rafah – over half of Gaza’s population are sheltering in the area," Cameron said on X.
He added that "the priority must be an immediate pause in the fighting to get aid in and hostages out," followed by progress towards a sustainable and permanent ceasefire.
The United States, Canada, Germany and other Western allies of Israel have criticized the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for ordering a ground operation in the packed city, warning of an imminent humanitarian disaster.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a large-scale rocket attack against Israel from Gaza and breached the border, killing 1,200 people and abducting around 240 others. Israel launched retaliatory strikes, ordered a complete blockade of Gaza, and started a ground incursion into the Palestinian enclave with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages. Over 27,900 people have been killed so far in the Gaza Strip, local authorities said.
On November 24, Qatar mediated a deal between Israel and Hamas on a temporary truce and the exchange of some of the prisoners and hostages, as well as the delivery of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. The ceasefire was extended several times and expired on December 1. More than 100 hostages are still believed to be held by Hamas in Gaza.