United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday called on Israel to halt its planned invasion of Rafah, a city in southern Gaza.

The plea comes in the wake of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's announcement that the offensive would proceed regardless of a potential hostage deal with Hamas.

As the war continues to destabilize the region and international outrage grows over the human cost, diplomatic efforts to alleviate the crisis and broker a ceasefire have intensified. Guterres urged Israel to reconsider its planned operation, warning of the devastating consequences.

"A military assault on Rafah would be an unbearable escalation, killing thousands more civilians and forcing hundreds of thousands to flee," Guterres told reporters. He added that such an operation would have severe repercussions on Palestinians in Gaza, the occupied West Bank, and the wider region.

The Secretary-General's warning follows Netanyahu's vow that the Israeli army will launch a ground offensive on Rafah, with or without a truce deal with Hamas. Rafah has become a sanctuary for approximately 1.5 million Palestinians fleeing Israel's bombardments since the war began on October 7, following a deadly attack by Hamas on Israel.

Netanyahu has pledged to destroy Hamas and stated that halting the war "before achieving all of its goals is out of the question." He declared, "We will enter Rafah and we will eliminate the Hamas battalions there with or without a deal."

Guterres implored both Israel and Hamas to reach a truce immediately and reiterated his call for Israel to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza, including through the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.

The Secretary-General also expressed concern over reports of mass graves discovered at Gaza's two main hospitals, with allegations that those buried there were unlawfully killed. He stressed the need for independent international investigators with forensic expertise to gain immediate access to these sites.

Israel's offensive has reportedly killed at least 34,535 people in Gaza, primarily women and children, according to the health ministry in the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian fighters also took approximately 250 hostages on October 7. Israel estimates that 129 remain in Gaza, including 34 believed to be dead. (ILKHA)