Germany warns Israel against 'catastrophe in the making'

RT
Sun, 11 Feb 2024 12:14 UTC

© Getty Images / Abed Zagout/Anadolu via Getty Images

Refugees in Rafah, Gaza, February 10, 2024.

Striking Rafah will only lead to more civilian deaths, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock believes.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock warned Israel on Saturday against launching strikes on southern Gaza as it will only lead to even more civilian deaths.

The minister's appeal comes as the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conduct strikes on Rafah, a city near the Egyptian border where many Palestinians have fled since fighting between Israel and Hamas broke out in October. The IDF had previously urged civilians to evacuate to the city, which had a population of some 280,000 before the war.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Baerbock said that "1.3 million people are seeking protection from the fighting in a very small space."

"An offensive by the Israeli army on Rafah would be a humanitarian catastrophe in the making," Baerbock wrote. "Israel must defend itself against the terror of Hamas, but at same time it must mitigate the suffering of the civilian population as much as possible."

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Friday that the stated goal of "eliminating Hamas" cannot be achieved without neutralizing the remaining militants in Rafah. The prime minister has tasked the IDF with drafting a plan "for evacuating the population and destroying [Hamas] battalions."

IDF strikes on Saturday morning killed at least 44 people in Rafah, according to the local Hamas-run authorities. The offensive has prompted renewed calls from abroad to end the violence.

Dutch Foreign Minister Hanke Bruins Slot called the looming ground assault "unjustifiable," given that Rafah is overcrowded with refugees.

UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron said on Saturday that "over half of Gaza's population are sheltering in the area," calling for an "immediate pause" in the fighting and the release of the remaining hostages by Hamas.

Israel declared war on the militants after Hamas and allied groups attacked Israeli cities on October 7, killing around 1,200 people and taking over 200 hostages. Dozens of captives were subsequently freed as part of a prisoner swap during a weeklong ceasefire in November.

More than 28,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 7, according to officials in Gaza.

Comment:

Daily, a growing number of nations are publicly condemning Israel for its alleged perpetration of genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

The looming question is whether Israel will finally face international repercussions for its inhumane and barbaric actions?

Israel to face 'serious repercussions' over Rafah strikes - Saudi Arabia

© Said Khatib / AFP

Smoke billowing during Israeli bombardment over Khan Yunis in Gaza, February 10, 2024.

Riyadh has said that going ahead with a major ground offensive planned in southern Gaza would cause a humanitarian disaster

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry has issued a warning to Israel and its allies, saying they will face "very serious repercussions" if West Jerusalem goes through with a planned ground offensive against Hamas in Gaza's last place of refuge for civilians who have been displaced by the ongoing war.

The ministry's statement, posted on Saturday, decried the expected "storming and targeting" of Rafah, Gaza, where an estimated 1.4 million Palestinians have sought safe haven after being driven from their homes by Israeli bombing.

Rafah is "the last resort for hundreds of thousands of civilians forced by the brutal Israeli aggression to flee," Riyadh said. "The kingdom affirms its categorical rejection and strong condemnation of their forcible deportation and renews its demand for an immediate ceasefire."

The statement came one day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered his military to make plans for evacuating civilians crowded into Rafah as commanders prepare to attack the last Hamas stronghold in the Palestinian enclave. The city's pre-war population was around 280,000 people.

Netanyahu has rejected international calls for a ceasefire and has insisted that only "total victory" over Hamas will make Israel safe from the sort of attacks that triggered the region's latest war in October. Israel launched airstrikes in Rafah on Saturday, killing at least 44 people, according to Hamas.

More than 28,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the war began, according to the Hamas-run health authorities. The UN has reported that 85% of the population has been displaced from their homes, and 570,000 Gazans are starving. The conflict began when Hamas fighters raided Israeli villages, killing more than 1,200 people and taking hundreds of hostages back to Gaza.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry suggested that both Israel and its backers will be held accountable for what happens in Rafah.

"This continued violation of international law and international humanitarian law confirms the need for an urgent convening of the UN Security Council to prevent Israel from causing an imminent humanitarian disaster for which everyone who supports the aggression is responsible."

Saudi Arabia and Israel were reportedly negotiating to establish diplomatic relations when the surprise Hamas attacks were launched. Riyadh's Foreign Ministry said earlier this week that it will not establish formal ties with Israel until the "aggression" against Gaza is halted and an independent Palestinian state - framed along 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital - is recognized.