Ahmed Al-Sufi, the mayor of Rafah, has told Al Jazeera that “any military action in the city crowded with more than 1.4 million Palestinians will lead to a massacre and a bloodbath”.

“We appeal to the international community and every living conscience to stop the genocide against the Palestinian people,” Al-Sufi said.

He went on to say that the city is facing famine due to a lack of supplies and that the aid that enters through the Rafah crossing is only sufficient for 10 per cent of the city’s population.