Saudi Arabia warns Israel on Rafah move: ‘Extremely dangerous repercussions'

Israel-Hamas War: Palestinians check destruction after an Israeli strike in Rafah, Gaza Strip.

Israel-Hamas War: Saudi Arabia said that Israel’s planned army operation in Rafah would cause a “humanitarian catastrophe” as it called for the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to intervene. This comes after Israel prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the army to prepare to evacuate civilians from Rafah ahead of a planned ground operation in the city.

What Saudi Arabia said on Israel’s Rafah order?

Saudi Arabia warns “of the extremely dangerous repercussions of storming and targeting” Rafah and affirmed its “categorical rejection and strong condemnation of their forced deportation”, its foreign ministry statement said as per news agency AFP.

“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 added.

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How many Gazans are in Rafah?

Rafah is overcrowded as more than one million displaced Palestinians have taken refuge in the city located in Gaza’s far south.

What is Saudi Arabia’s take on the war?

Saudi Arabia has never recognised Israel but had been considering to do so before the Israel-Hamas war broke out. Riyadh has repeatedly called for a ceasefire while criticising Israeli “aggression” in Gaza. Saudi Arabia also said this week it had told Washington it would not establish ties with Israel until an independent Palestinian state is “recognised”. Israeli forces should leave Gaza, Riyadh reportedly told Washington.

What has Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said?

Israeli operations in Rafah could cause “tens of thousands” of casualties in the city, the office of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said, adding that the move “threatens security and peace in the region in the world” and is “a blatant violation of all red lines”.

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