Gaza (Union)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved the military plan to invade the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, despite international warnings about the displaced, whose number exceeds a million. Meanwhile, the US Secretary of State said that his country did not see any clear and implementable plan regarding Rafah.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement yesterday, “The Israeli army is ready for the military operation in Rafah and to evacuate the civilian population.” This decision comes despite widespread international warnings, including the United States and Egypt, not to enter Rafah, where there are more than 1.5 million displaced Palestinians.
In his comments on the Israeli announcement, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said yesterday that any military operation in Rafah will require a reliable and implementable plan to evacuate and care for 1.4 million people in the city. Blinken confirmed, during a joint press conference with his Austrian counterpart, Alexander Schallenberg, in Vienna, that “the American administration has not received such a plan yet.” He explained that Washington's efforts are continuing with the Israeli government, the Palestinian Authority, and the countries of the region, with the aim of bridging viewpoints and closing gaps in order to reach an agreement that guarantees the release of prisoners and the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Palestinians in Gaza.
In turn, the Palestinian presidency warned of the Israeli government’s decision to carry out a military operation in Rafah, and called on the American administration and the international community to assume their responsibilities to prevent the invasion.
The Palestinian presidency reaffirmed its categorically rejecting position to prevent any displacement, considering that this constitutes a “red line.”
In this context, the United Nations warned that the ground operation on the city of Rafah would have dire consequences for the residents of the Gaza Strip and for the delivery of humanitarian aid.
United Nations spokesman Stephane Dujarric indicated that he had seen the news regarding Netanyahu’s approval of the operation, and said that this was “very worrying.”
He added, “The ground operation on Rafah will have serious consequences for the residents of Gaza and for humanitarian aid operations,” expressing his hope that it will be prevented from happening.
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