THE United Nations human rights office said that an Israeli offensive in Gaza's border town of Rafah could not be allowed to happen because it would cause massive loss of Palestinian lives. "Should Israel launch its threatened military offensive into Rafah, where 1.5 million people have been displaced in deplorable, subhuman conditions, any ground assault on Rafah would incur massive loss of life and would heighten the risk of further atrocity crimes," said Jeremy Laurence, spokesperson for the U.N. Human Rights Office. "This must not be allowed to happen." Defying international calls to halt its military operation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said…