Biden Issues Warning to Israel: Attack on Rafah Must Include Plan to Protect Civilians
President Joe Biden has once again warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against launching a military operation into Gaza’s southern city of Rafah without a viable plan to protect the 1.4 million Palestinians residing there.
Despite this caution, Israel’s defense minister claimed that the country is thoroughly planning the ground invasion of Rafah, with Netanyahu vowing to reject international dictates on the Israel-Palestinian conflict resolution.
Two Israeli airstrikes on Rafah resulted in the death of at least 13 people, including nine members of the same family.
The death toll of Palestinians in the Gaza war has surpassed 28,000, with a quarter of Gaza’s residents facing starvation. Israel has identified Rafah as the last Hamas stronghold in Gaza, leading to the displacement of over 1.4 million Palestinians in the city.
The United Nations’ International Court of Justice rejected a South African request to impose urgent measures to safeguard Rafah but stressed that Israel must respect earlier measures imposed at a preliminary stage in a genocide case.
Israel’s defense minister stated that the country is thoroughly planning its promised ground invasion of Rafah and that it has no intention of forcibly evacuating Palestinian civilians to Egypt.
… More content …
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
