Arab League chief warns against Israeli offensive in Rafah
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The Secretary-General of the Arab League warns against an Israeli offensive in Gaza's Rafah, joining a slew of international calls for "Tel Aviv" not to make an incursion into the city.
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Palestinians search for survivors after an Israeli airstrike on a residential building In Rafah, Gaza Strip, occupied Palestine, February 10, 2024 (AP)
The Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, warned of the serious consequences of the Israeli occupation launching an offensive on the Rafah area in the Gaza Strip.
"The occupation's blatant plans to displace hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who sought refuge in Rafah as a last resort from the indiscriminate attacks on civilians are rejected through and through. These plans impose serious threats to regional stability," Aboul Gheit underlined.
The Secretary-General of the Arab League underlined that "forcing hundreds of thousands to evacuate from the Strip is a violation of international law and humanitarian law, in addition to being a serious escalation of the situation in the region by crossing red lines for the national security of Egypt, a major Arab state."
"The world should be aware of the danger of Israeli practices driven by an extremist right-wing agenda, aiming to empty [Gaza] of its inhabitants and achieve comprehensive ethnic cleansing, which should have no place in this era," he underlined.
The top Arab official underlined that Israeli officials have not even attempted to hide their intentions of displacing and deporting the residents of Gaza, even their intentions to reintroduce Israeli settlements into Gaza.
"International action is necessary at this stage to prevent a catastrophe that would escalate and ignite the situation at the regional level," he concluded.
Arab condemnations
Aboul Gheit's statements follow condemnations and warnings against a Rafah offensive from numerous Arab parties and even foreign states and organizations.
The Jordanian Foreign Ministry raised earlier on Saturday serious concerns over the looming possibility of a military operation by the Israeli occupation forces in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah.
Ambassador Sufian al-Qudah, the ministry's spokesperson, emphasized Jordan's unequivocal rejection of any displacement of Palestinians, whether within their homeland or beyond.
Read more: Israeli plans to invade Rafah 'alarming', Borrell says
Al-Qudah stressed the immediate need to bring an end to the ongoing war on the Gaza Strip, advocating for an urgent ceasefire to protect civilians, enable their safe return to their homes, and facilitate the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid across the Gaza Strip.
Al-Qudah called upon the international community to fulfill its responsibilities promptly, urging swift and effective action to prevent the escalation of "Tel Aviv's" military activities.
He drew attention to the unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in the blockaded Palestinian strip and underscored the crucial role of the UN Security Council, urging it to act promptly to prevent further deterioration and to impose an immediate ceasefire.
Saudi warns against Rafah invasion
Echoing a similar sentiment as Jordan, a Saudi Foreign Ministry statement published by state media warned "of the extremely dangerous repercussions of storming and targeting Rafah" and assured its "categorical rejection and strong condemnation of their forced deportation."
"This continued violation of international law and international humanitarian law confirms the necessity of convening the Security Council urgently to prevent Israel from causing an imminent humanitarian catastrophe," the statement stressed.
Read next: US do not support an Israeli offensive into Rafah: White House
This week, the Gulf country informed Washington that it will not normalize ties with "Israel' if an "independent Palestinian state is not recognized" and the IOF's genocide against Gaza does not stop.
Saudi Arabia has never recognized "Israel" but has been considering normalization before October 7. Ever since, Riyadh has repeatedly urged for a ceasefire while condemning the Israeli genocide against Gaza.
Amnesty International warns against offensive
Amnesty International issued a severe warning stressing that Benjamin Netanyahu's orders to the IOF planning an attack on Rafah in the Gaza Strip constitute a "grave risk of genocide" for Palestinians.
Amnesty International Secretary-General, Agnes Callamard, posted a statement on X, expressing concern about the feasibility and safety of evacuation measures, shedding light on the misery Palestinians are experiencing in Gaza as a result of the Israeli genocide against them.
Callmard emphasized, "The statement published by the office of PM Netanyahu, which instructs the Israeli military to produce a plan for the 'evacuation of the civilian population' of Rafah has spread panic in the southern governorate raising fears that a massive ground operation is imminent."
"Such an operation will have catastrophic consequences for more than a million people – the vast majority of them displaced - who are living in desperate conditions in Rafah, squeezed into overcrowded areas, makeshift tents, and schools or sleeping on the streets, who have nowhere to go," she added.
She further urged the international community to support the Palestinian people who are facing "the real and imminent risk of genocide."
