The French Foreign Ministry released a statement this Sunday (11) calling on Israel to stop attacks on the city of Rafah, in the Gaza Strip, to avoid what it called “a humanitarian disaster”.
“Israel must take concrete measures to protect the lives of civilians in Gaza,” said the French Ministry, adding that “France expresses its deepest concern following the attacks in Rafah.”
The city, located south of the Gaza Strip and on the border with Egypt, is home to more than 1.3 million people who have taken refuge there because of the fighting and is also “a vital crossing point for humanitarian aid”, it adds. the note.
“A full-scale Israeli offensive would create a catastrophic humanitarian situation of a new and unjustifiable dimension,” he insisted.
The statement further states that “France opposes any forced displacement of populations, which is prohibited by international humanitarian law.”
The note ends by stating that “the future of the Gaza Strip and its inhabitants can only be found in a Palestinian State that lives in peace and security alongside Israel.”
On Saturday (10), Saudi Arabia had “strongly” condemned Israel’s plans to extend the military offensive to Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip.
Both the UN and the United States have expressed concern about a possible expansion of the Israeli offensive, with the US State Department warning that a military operation in the enclave without adequate planning for the evacuation of civilians would be “a disaster”.
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