The letter was coordinated by Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, in the context of the rotating presidency of the group of seven most developed democracies.

In the letter, the signatory countries reiterate "the opposition to a large-scale military operation in Rafah", where about 1.5 million inhabitants of Gaza have accumulated.

They also call on Israel to present "a credible plan to protect civilians" who remain in Rafah, where Israel claims the last units of the Palestinian extremist group Hamas are located.

The letter is addressed to Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz, according to the Spanish agency EFE.

In addition to Italy, it is signed by Germany, Australia, Canada, South Korea, Denmark, Finland, France, New Zealand, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Sweden.

The letter was not signed by the United States, Israel's greatest allies, but who have long pressured the Israeli government to avoid a large-scale offensive in Rafah.

Located in the south of the Gaza Strip, on the border with Egypt, Rafah had 275,000 inhabitants before the beginning of the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, on October 7.

The majority of the approximately 1.5 million people who joined Rafah were displaced from other regions of the Gaza Strip, as the Israeli offensive, which began in the north of the Palestinian enclave, advanced.

According to the UN, about 600,000 people have fled Rafah in recent weeks under Israeli orders.

Until recently, Rafah was the last refuge of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli offensive also meant blocking access to humanitarian aid, which entered through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.

The situation has worsened the shortage of food, water, basic necessities and fuel for the population of Gaza.

"We urge the Israeli government to allow humanitarian aid to enter the Gaza Strip through all relevant border crossings, including Rafah," the signatories to the letter request.

The Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip has caused more than 35,300 deaths in seven months, according to data updated today by the Hamas Ministry of Health.

The war was triggered by an unprecedented Hamas attack in southern Israel on October 7, which caused about 1,200 deaths and two hundred hostages.

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