Palestinian President: Only the US can stop the Rafah attack

The Palestinian president says the US is the only country that can stop Israel from attacking Rafah, an act that risks causing the greatest disaster in history.

"We call on the United States to ask Israel to stop its attack on Rafah. The United States is the only country that can stop Israel in this," Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said on April 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

According to Mr. Abbas, all Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are gathering in Rafah to take shelter. Just a small Israeli raid on Rafah will force people here to flee the Gaza Strip. "Then the biggest disaster in the history of the Palestinian people will happen," Mr. Abbas warned.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on April 28. Photo: Reuters — Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on April 28. Photo: *Reuters*

President Abbas opposes the evacuation of Palestinians to Jordan and Egypt. He expressed concern that once Israel completes its military campaign in the Gaza Strip, it will continue to push Palestinians from the West Bank into Jordan.

Israel stepped up its attacks on Rafah last week and threatened to launch a full-scale assault on the city to destroy all Hamas forces. Israel says there are four Hamas battalions stationed in Rafah, along with thousands of Hamas members who have withdrawn from other areas of the Gaza Strip.

Rafah, a city on the Egyptian border, is currently a refuge for about 1.5 million Palestinians. The international community and Israel's allies, including the United States, have warned that an operation into Rafah would be catastrophic for civilians there.

The White House said earlier this month that Israel had agreed to consider US concerns about the Rafah offensive. Israel’s foreign minister said on April 27 that the country could halt its planned assault on the Gaza city of Rafah if it reached a hostage release deal with Hamas.

The United States is Israel’s top trading partner, with annual bilateral trade reaching nearly $50 billion. U.S. officials have long said the relationship with Israel is strategically important in efforts to maintain stability in the Middle East and prevent unrest that could threaten America’s access to regional oil. Israel currently receives $3.8 billion in annual military aid from the United States under a 2019 memorandum of understanding. That represents about 16 percent of Israel’s total military budget in 2022.

The US this week approved new foreign aid, including $26 billion for Israel.