Several countries warn Israel about Rafah attack plan

The US, France, Egypt and Jordan have warned Israel of dire consequences for civilians if it attacks the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

"We warn of the dangerous consequences if Israel attacks Rafah, where more than 1.5 million Palestinian civilians have taken refuge," French President Emmanuel Macron, his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordanian King Abdullah II said in a joint editorial published in several newspapers on April 8.

Rafah is a city in the southern Gaza Strip, bordering Egypt and having a border crossing with this country. Tel Aviv is focusing on attacking Rafah to eliminate the remaining Hamas battalions.

Mr Macron, Mr al-Sisi and King Abdullah called for the implementation of a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and for Hamas to release hostages. Aid into Gaza also “needs to be dramatically increased”.

Israeli soldiers stand guard near the border with Gaza on February 12. Photo: AFP — Israeli soldiers stand guard near the border with Gaza on February 12. Photo: *AFP*

The comments came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed on April 8 that Tel Aviv would attack Rafah to defeat Hamas. "The attack will take place, the date has been set," Netanyahu said, without giving details.

US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the same day that Washington still opposes Tel Aviv launching an operation in Rafah.

"We have made clear to Israel the US view that a large-scale Rafah operation would have an extremely devastating impact on civilians there and would ultimately undermine Israel's security," Miller said when asked about Netanyahu's comments. The US believes Israel can achieve its goals in better ways.

In a phone call on April 4, US President Joe Biden urged Prime Minister Netanyahu to take steps to minimize civilian harm, humanitarian losses and ensure the safety of aid workers. Mr. Biden also warned that US policy toward the Gaza Strip and Israel would depend on whether the country met those demands.

According to Gaza health authorities, the conflict has killed 33,207 Palestinians and injured 75,933, mostly women and children, since the outbreak of hostilities on October 7, 2023, to April 8.