Abu Dhabi (WAM)
The UAE expressed its deep concern about the plans and preparations of the Israeli army to launch a military operation in the Rafah area, south of the Gaza Strip, which is crowded with displaced Palestinians, and about the serious humanitarian repercussions that the military operations may cause.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned, in a statement, of military action that threatens more innocent victims and will exacerbate the humanitarian catastrophe that the Gaza Strip is witnessing.
It reiterated its strong condemnation of any forced deportation of the brotherly Palestinian people, and any practices that violate the resolutions of international legitimacy and international and humanitarian law.
It called on the international community to make all efforts without delay to reach an immediate ceasefire to avoid further inflaming the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory, and to advance all efforts to achieve a comprehensive and just peace, and to prevent the region from being dragged into new levels of violence, tension, and instability.
It reiterated the UAE's position calling for a return to negotiations to achieve a two-state solution and establish an independent Palestinian state.
Arab and Western countries warned of a humanitarian catastrophe in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, at a time when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered his forces to prepare a “plan to evacuate” hundreds of thousands of civilians from the city before a possible ground attack.
Yesterday, the Israeli army bombed the Rafah area in the far south of the Gaza Strip, while witnesses reported raids in the vicinity of the city, where about 1.3 million Palestinians are gathered, meaning more than half of the population of the Gaza Strip, the vast majority of whom are displaced people who have taken refuge there to escape the violence in the north.
The United Nations stressed that civilians in Rafah need protection, and that no mass forced displacement should be carried out, after Israel began preparing a plan to evacuate civilians.
After Gaza City and then Khan Yunis, Israel is now preparing for a ground operation in the city of Rafah in the far south of Gaza, as part of its military attack on the Strip since October 7.
For his part, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said yesterday that contacts are continuing to establish a framework that allows for a truce in Gaza.
Israeli forces launched air attacks on Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, killing more than 20 people yesterday, according to what medical personnel in the area said. The attacks come amid repeated warnings from Arab and Western capitals against military operations in the region.
For his part, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned of a humanitarian catastrophe that would have repercussions on the entire Middle East. The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs also warned of “extremely dangerous repercussions of storming and targeting the city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip,” describing the city as a “last refuge” for hundreds of thousands of civilians.
Saudi Arabia called on the UN Security Council to hold an urgent meeting to prevent Israel from causing what Riyadh described as an imminent humanitarian catastrophe.
The US administration and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock also opposed the military action of the Israeli army in Rafah. American officials said that they had not seen any preparations indicating a “major” or “imminent” attack, and they warned of a “disaster,” expressing their concern about a scenario similar to what happened in the north.
Bierbock, who belongs to the Green Party, confirmed yesterday that “the Israeli army’s attack on Rafah will be a humanitarian catastrophe in the making.”
These were not the first reports of attacks in Rafah. According to eyewitnesses, the Israeli army has repeatedly attacked areas in the city in recent weeks, but yesterday's attacks appear to be more intense so far.
In a statement, the Arab Parliament held Israel fully responsible for the bloodshed that might occur, which would not stop if the incursion was carried out, and described it as a disaster. It renewed its categorical rejection and strong condemnation of the forced displacement of Palestinian civilians.
The Arab Parliament called on the international community, the UN Security Council, and all countries of the world to intervene urgently to prevent the expansion of the attack on Rafah.
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