Japan, Australia join long list of nations warning of Rafah invasion
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Japan and Australia have warned that an invasion of Rafah would have devastating consequences for the millions of Palestinians taking shelter in the city.
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Australian Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong in occupied Palestine in January 2024. (AP)
The Australian government has joined a long list of nations warning "Israel" that a military onslaught in Rafah will have "devastating consequences" for the 1.4 million Palestinians taking shelter there.
Penny Wong, the foreign minister, also said on Monday that failing to provide particular care for more than 1 million people in the region, many of whom are living in temporary tents, would "cause serious harm to Israel's own interests".
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu evaded responsibility for the rising international condemnation and falsely claimed that the Israeli occupation forces would provide a "safe passage" for the civilians to leave.
Netanyahu lies through his teeth, as Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported early Monday that Israeli warplanes launched over 50 airstrikes on the densely-populated city, noting that the occupation forces used internationally prohibited incendiary missiles in its airstrikes to kill at least 100 people and injure dozens as he hopes to finally defeat the Palestinian Resistance.
'Israel's' friends calling for ceasefire
According to Wong, 153 nations, including some of "Israel's" friends, have called for a ceasefire, and many have voiced their concern about any aggression extending into Rafah.
“There is growing international consensus: Israel must listen to its friends and it must listen to the international community," she said, stressing the obligation to care for over a million civilians taking shelter, many of whom were displaced following IOF operations.
Meanwhile, Greens MP Max Chandler-Mather proposed a resolution for the Australian government to "end its support for the State of Israel's invasion of Gaza," as well as to urge for an immediate and lasting ceasefire.
Meanwhile, in the US, The Washington Post reported on Sunday, citing unnamed official sources, that US President Joe Biden and his administration and his top aides are increasingly edging toward a breach with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, noting that they no longer regard him as a "productive partner" who can be influenced.
The Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine affirmed on Monday that the Israeli massacre in the city of Rafah and the entity's insistence to continue carrying out its crimes is a deliberate escalation in the genocide against the Palestinian people.
In a statement, the movement said, "These crimes confirm that the Nazi and criminal government of the entity does not care about public opinion or its allies among the normalization camp."
Earlier in the day, the Palestinian Resistance movement Hamas said the massacre committed by "the terrorist Netanyahu government and its Nazi-like army" flies in the face of the urgent measures called for by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), including ceasing all activities amounting to genocide.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock stated Saturday that the people in Gaza “cannot disappear into thin air” and EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, warned that the invasion would cause an “unspeakable humanitarian catastrophe and grave tensions with Egypt."
Japan expresses 'deep concern' about Israeli operations in Rafah
In the same context, Japan expressed "deep concern" about Israeli "military activities" in Rafah, following confirmation from the IOF that it had carried out attacks in the city.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs Press Secretary Kobayashi Maki emphasized that "more than 1 million people are hiding in Rafah, and that the city is critical for humanitarian relief delivery."
Maki emphasized that a detrimental humanitarian situation calls for improving aid to the large number of women, children, and elderly in the area.
On February 12, Statement by Press Secretary KOBAYASHI Maki, regarding Israeli military operation in Rafah in the Gaza Strip, was issued.https://t.co/YxbZ2Bwmf6#Gaza #Israel #Palestine pic.twitter.com/CsgaXt612X
— MOFA of Japan (@MofaJapan_en) February 12, 2024
