In the southern city of Rafah in Gaza, a Palestinian doctor has expressed the deep fear and terror gripping the local population as Israel threatens a ground offensive. Dr. Ahmed Abuibaid, sending messages to the BBC, described the air strikes as incessant and everywhere, some of the most intense he has experienced since arriving in Rafah.

The announcement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week, ordering troops to prepare for a potential expansion of the ground operation to Rafah, has left people in the city on edge. More than half of Gaza's 2.3 million population is now crammed into Rafah, which previously housed just 250,000 people before the conflict between Israel and Hamas erupted in October.

The dire living conditions in Rafah add to the already unbearable situation. Many displaced individuals are forced to live in makeshift shelters and tents, facing squalid conditions with limited access to safe drinking water and food. The scarcity of these essential supplies only exacerbates the suffering of vulnerable civilians, including children and women.

UN human rights chief Volker Türk has issued a terrifying warning, stressing that "an extremely high number of civilians, mostly children and women, will likely be killed and injured" if an assault on Rafah occurs. Additionally, Türk has raised concerns that such an operation could halt humanitarian aid entering Gaza, as most deliveries currently pass through the Egyptian-controlled Rafah border crossing.

Last week, the United States expressed unusually sharp criticism of Israel's retaliatory campaign in Gaza, with President Joe Biden calling it "over the top." On Monday, President Biden emphasized that Israeli operations in Rafah should not proceed without proper plans to safeguard civilian safety. The US is actively working on brokering a ceasefire deal lasting at least six weeks.

Similar concerns have been echoed by other international figures. UK Foreign Secretary, Lord Cameron, advised Israel to seriously consider the consequences before taking further action in Rafah. The EU's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, went a step further by urging allies of Israel to halt weapons shipments, citing the alarming number of casualties in Gaza.

In an interview with ABC News, Prime Minister Netanyahu stated Israel is devising a detailed plan to relocate civilians to safer areas north of Rafah. He emphasized that ensuring victory means not allowing Hamas to remain in the area, dismissing those who oppose a ground offensive as advocating for defeat.

The Israeli military launched a large-scale air and ground campaign in Gaza in response to Hamas's attack on southern Israel on October 7th, which resulted in over 1,200 deaths and left 253 people hostage. According to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, more than 28,100 Palestinians have been killed since the conflict began.

Amidst the chaos and uncertainty, Dr. Abuibaid, one of the displaced individuals in Rafah, expressed his deep concern. Having previously worked at Nasser Hospital in neighboring Khan Younis, he was forced to abandon his job and home due to an Israeli air strike that destroyed his residence and left his father with a traumatic spinal injury. Now, he faces the possibility of having to move again, unsure of where safety can be found.

As Israeli strikes continue to terrorize the city, ordinary people like Mr. Attya are longing for even a warning from the Israeli military before a targeted attack. The recent overnight strikes carried out during a hostage rescue operation further frightened those seeking refuge in Rafah.

The Hamas-run Palestinian health ministry reported that at least 67 individuals were killed in the Israeli strikes and hostage rescue raid in Rafah overnight. The situation is dire, with no safe place left, even hospitals are deemed unsafe. The combination of ongoing airstrikes, the looming threat of a ground offensive, dire living conditions, and dwindling medical supplies have made survival increasingly challenging for the people of Rafah.

The world continues to watch with concern as innocent lives hang in the balance.