Palestinians flee Rafah as cease-fire talks collapse

JERUSALEM/GAZA — Tens of thousands of displaced and exhausted Palestinians have packed up their tents and other belongings and fled the southern city of Rafah for other parts of Gaza, according to the United Nations.

"Where are we supposed to go? Where is the world, that's just watching us?" Ahmad Abed, who has an 8-month-old daughter, said."It's like we're sheep."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that a threat from the United States to withhold some weapons would not deter Israel from expanding its offensive in Gaza. A limited Israeli operation earlier this past week captured the Gaza side of Rafah's border crossing with Egypt, throwing humanitarian operations into crisis.

US President Joe Biden has urged Israel not to go ahead with such an operation over fears it would exacerbate the humanitarian catastrophe in the Palestinian enclave. On Wednesday, he said his country would not provide offensive weapons for a Rafah offensive, raising pressure on Netanyahu.

But in a statement on Thursday, Netanyahu said: "If we have to stand alone, we will stand alone. If we need to, we will fight with our fingernails. But we have much more than fingernails."

The death toll from the conflict in Gaza has soared to more than 34,500 people, according to local health officials, and caused vast destruction to apartments, hospitals, mosques and schools across several cities.

'Full-blown famine'

The UN says most of the territory's 2.3 million Palestinians suffer from hunger and that northern Gaza is already experiencing "fullblown famine".

It came as the 193-member UN General Assembly on Friday was set to back a Palestinian bid to become a full UN member.

The Palestinians are reviving their bid to become a full UN member — a move that would effectively recognize a Palestinian state — after the US vetoed it in the 15-member Security Council last month.

The vote will act as a global survey of support for the Palestinians. An application to become a full UN member first needs to be approved by the Security Council and then the General Assembly.

Diplomats and observers say a resolution calling for their full UN membership is likely to win broad majority support, according to Reuters.

Agencies via Xinhua