The Egyptian Foreign Ministry warned on Monday of a possible Israeli military operation in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, explaining that “this escalatory action entails grave humanitarian risks that threaten more than a million Palestinians.”
In the statement, it called on Israel to exercise “The utmost levels of restraint and avoid further escalation at this extremely sensitive time in the course of ceasefire negotiations, and to spare the blood of Palestinian civilians who have been exposed to an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe since the start of the war on Gaza Strip.”
Egypt confirmed that it “continues its communications around the clock” with all parties in order to prevent the situation from worsening or getting out of control.
The Palestinian presidency also announced on Monday that it is in contact with regional and international parties, especially the US, to prevent the invasion of Rafah.
The Palestinian Presidency said, according to WAFA news Agency: “We call on the US administration to intervene immediately to prevent this massacre, of which we warn of its dangerous repercussions,” stressing that “the invasion of Rafah means that one and a half million Palestinian citizens will be subjected to a genocidal massacre, and displacement attempts that we previously warned against.”
Hamas warned that Israel preparations to invade Rafah ignores the fate of the hostages in Gaza.
Earlier on Monday, France and the European Union renewed their rejection of a possible Israeli attack on Rafah and the forced displacement of its residents.
The Civil Defense and Red Crescent in the Gaza Strip also announced on Monday that Israeli aircraft bombed two areas in Rafah that the army had previously asked residents to evacuate.
