“Gulf countries demand urgent action from Security Council”
Qatar, which has been involved in truce and hostage negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, condemned Israel’s planned ground attack on Rafah, the southernmost part of the Gaza Strip.
According to CNN on the 11th (local time), Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on its website, criticizing Israel’s ground attack on Rafah, saying, “A humanitarian disaster will occur in the city that has become the last refuge for hundreds of thousands of refugees in the besieged zone.” .
Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also called on the Gulf state to tell the UN Security Council “to take urgent measures to prevent the Israeli occupation forces from invading Rafah and committing genocide, and to ensure full protection of civilians in accordance with international law and international humanitarian law.” The statement said that it did.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized, “We confirm that Qatar resolutely rejects any attempt to forcibly relocate Palestinian citizens from the Gaza Strip.”
Qatar has played a key role in brokering a potential ceasefire agreement in negotiations between Israel and Hamas.
Qatari Prime Minister Muhammad bin Abdulrahman Al Thani also announced on the 6th that Hamas had responded “overall positively” to the ceasefire and hostage negotiations with Israel.
However, the situation changed on the 9th when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a ground battle in Rafah, saying, “A large-scale military operation in Rafah is inevitable to completely eradicate Hamas.”
Rafah is the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip, bordering Egypt. It is estimated that up to 1.4 million people, more than half of the 2.3 million people in the Gaza Strip, are currently taking refuge there.
Despite warnings and concerns from the international community, Prime Minister Netanyahu repeatedly emphasized that he would definitely advance to Rafah in an interview with ABC, USA, aired on the 11th.
Accordingly, a senior Hamas official warned on the same day through TV channel Al-Aqsa that hostage exchange negotiations would “blow up” if Israel launched a ground attack on Rafah.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.