UN refugee chief says outflow of Gazans into Egypt would make conflict resolution impossible

The prospect of Gazans crossing into Egypt from the border town of Rafah to escape a military assault would make the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict impossible and cause an “atrocious dilemma” for the people fleeing, the UN refugee chief says

Filippo Grandi, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), says “we must fervently do everything” to avoid such an outflow of the Gazan population.

“Another refugee crisis from Gaza into Egypt, I can assure you… would make the resolution of the Palestinian refugee question as a consequence of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict impossible,” Grandi tells Reuters at UNHCR headquarters in Geneva.

Grandi says an attack on Rafah may make the movement of Gazans into Egypt “the only option for safety available.”

“This dilemma is unacceptable and the responsibility to avoid this dilemma lies squarely in this particular case with Israel, the occupying power in Gaza,” he says.

Grandi says UNHCR was stocking tents and supplies and working with countries in the region on coming up with their own contingency plans for the possible arrival of Gazans.

“We are looking at the region and that the possibility not only of the outflow, but also that the conflict may expand,” Grandi says.

“But I repeat, we must not arrive at that atrocious dilemma, which would be really almost the end of the road for what is really important here: ultimate peace.”