Israeli invasion of Rafah to lead to 'total catastrophe': Spanish FM
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Jose Manuel Albar says in Brussels that Spain is entirely against any Israeli military activity in Rafah.
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Spain's Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares speaks in Islamabad, Pakistan, on September 10, 2021. (AP)
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albar warned Monday that expanding Israeli aggression into Rafah will result in a complete "catastrophe."
Before a ministerial meeting of EU foreign affairs in Brussels, Albar expressed that Spain was "completely opposed" to the operation, stating that what was needed was an "immediate and permanent ceasefire and the access of humanitarian aid to Gaza."
Read more: Spain's lies about ending arms to 'Israel' exposed; data speak volumes
The Spanish official warned that any such actions would lead to a "total catastrophe".
Israeli war cabinet Minister, Benny Gantz, issued a warning on Sunday, stating that if Israeli captives are not released, there is a threat of an invasion of Rafah city during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.
“I say this very clearly: Hamas has a choice. They can surrender, release the hostages, and this way, the citizens of Gaza can celebrate the holy holiday of Ramadan,” Gantz said during a news conference in al-Quds.
Former Security Minister Benny Gantz mentioned that the potential invasion of Rafah would be coordinated with "our American and Egyptian partners to minimize civilian casualties," as reported by The Times of Israel.
Earlier on Sunday, unconfirmed reports by Israeli Channel 13 mentioned that Netanyahu has yielded to the demands of Ben-Gvir to limit the access of worshippers from the '48 occupied territories to al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan. The measure comes hand in hand with increased systematic oppression of Palestinians in the occupied territories, including wide-scale detention campaigns and assassinations against Palestinians in the West Bank.
Washington must end hypocrisy on Israeli operation in Rafah: Iran FM
Over the last week, numerous world leaders have expressed worry over "Israel's" impending attack into Rafah.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian warned the US on Monday from pursuing its hypocritical behavior, which involves talks about a ceasefire, on the one hand, and encouraging the Israeli occupation to attack Rafah, on the other.
Mehr News Agency reported that Amir-Abdollahian, during a meeting with a government delegation, addressed the ongoing war crimes perpetrated by the occupation against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres lamented on Friday the situation in Rafah and warned that any plans for an offensive on Rafah would be devastating for the area that now holds 1.5 million people displaced from elsewhere in Gaza.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry participated on Saturday with his Saudi and Belgian counterparts in a discussion session entitled "Towards Stability and Peace in the Middle East," where they spoke on the challenges of reducing escalations in the Gaza Strip, which was held on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.
Shoukry issued a stark warning about the severe consequences of any Israeli ground invasion in the city of Rafah. He emphasized that Rafah serves as the last refuge for approximately 1.4 million displaced Palestinians, and any such operations would surpass all boundaries of humanitarian principles and international laws.
He further highlighted that the unfolding of such a scenario would have profound implications for Egyptian national security and jeopardize peace in the Middle East.
US' double standards
It is noteworthy that a few days ago, Biden told Netanyahu that any military operation in Rafah should proceed only with a credible and executable plan to safeguard and support civilians. This indicates that Biden doesn't oppose the notion of a military operation in Rafah per se, but rather emphasizes the necessity of a viable plan. This stance appears contradictory to his previous statements advocating for the protection of civilians in Gaza and the provision of aid to them.
At the same time, The Wall Street Journal reported that the United States is preparing to send an urgent shipment of bombs and missiles to "Israel".
In a related context, US officials recently refuted claims that the US President's administration had intentions of imposing punitive measures on "Israel" if it proceeded with its aggression against Rafah. This suggests that Israeli forces could potentially enter Rafah and endanger civilians without facing repercussions from the United States.
