Saudi Arabia warns of ‘humanitarian disaster’ if Israel takes action against Rafah

Hamas says 27,947 people have been killed in Gaza. (document)

Riyadh:

Saudi Arabia said on Saturday that a planned Israeli military operation in overcrowded Rafah would cause a “humanitarian disaster” and called on the United Nations Security Council to intervene.

In a foreign ministry statement published on state media, Saudi Arabia “warned of the extremely dangerous consequences of attacks and targeting Rafah” and affirmed that it “firmly rejects and strongly condemns their forced expulsions”.

“This continued violation of international law and international humanitarian law confirms the need for an urgent meeting of the Security Council to prevent an imminent humanitarian catastrophe caused by Israel,” the statement added.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday ordered the army to prepare to evacuate civilians from Rafah before planning a ground operation against Hamas in the city.

More than a million displaced Palestinians have taken refuge in Gaza’s southernmost city, many hiding in tents near the Egyptian border and the sea.

Saudi Arabia, home to Islam’s holiest sites, has never recognized Israel but had been considering doing so before Israel’s war with Hamas broke out in October.

Agence France-Presse, based on official Israeli statistics, said the conflict was triggered by an attack by Hamas agents in southern Israel, which killed about 1,160 people, most of them civilians.

Israel has vowed to eliminate Hamas and launched a large-scale military offensive in Gaza. The health ministry in Hamas-controlled areas said the offensive has killed at least 27,947 people, mostly women and children.

Riyadh has repeatedly called for a ceasefire while criticizing Israel’s “aggression” against Gaza.

While U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration has expressed optimism about resuming normalization with Israel, Saudi Arabia said this week it had told Washington it would not engage in negotiations with Israel until it “recognizes” an independent Palestinian state and Israeli troops leave Gaza. Build relationships.

Gaza’s Hamas ruler warned on Saturday that Israeli actions in Rafah could lead to “tens of thousands” of casualties in the city.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s office said the move “threatens security and peace in this part of the world” and “blatantly violates all red lines.”

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