(MENAFN- Daily News Egypt) Egypt has expressed concern over the potential humanitarian impact of a possible Israeli military operation in the Palestinian Rafah area, located south of the Gaza Strip. The warning highlights the significant humanitarian risks that could affect over a million Palestinians living in the region.
President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi commented on the situation, stating:“I am closely following the positive developments in the ongoing negotiations for a comprehensive ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. I urge all parties to redouble their efforts to reach an agreement that will end the humanitarian crisis affecting the Palestinian people. I also advocate for a complete exchange of hostages and prisoners to help resolve the conflict.”
Earlier, Hamas announced that its political bureau chief, Ismail Haniyeh, discussed the ceasefire proposal in a phone call with the head of Egypt's General Intelligence Service and the Prime Minister of Qatar.
However, the Israeli Prime Minister's office has stated that Israel intends to proceed with the Rafah operation to pressure for the release of hostages.
The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has urged Israel to exercise maximum restraint and avoid further escalation during this sensitive time in the ceasefire negotiations, emphasizing the importance of protecting Palestinian civilian lives.
Reports indicate that Israeli forces have begun forcibly displacing approximately 100,000 Palestinians from eastern Rafah in preparation for a potential ground military operation. Concurrently, Egypt has heightened its security alert in North Sinai in anticipation of the operation.
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi warned of the risk of another massacre in Rafah and called for international intervention to prevent it. Similarly, the European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, criticized the Israeli army's evacuation order for east Rafah as a harbinger of further conflict and urged Israel to halt its ground offensive.
Hamas has condemned the Israeli army's preparations for an attack on Rafah as a crime and a continuation of the government's aggressive policies. The movement emphasized its readiness to defend the Palestinian people and called for international action to prevent the threatened operation.
The Ministry of Health in Gaza reported that Israeli forces have committed multiple attacks against families in the region, resulting in 52 deaths and 90 injuries in the last 24 hours. The ministry also noted that the total casualties since last October have reached 34,735 deaths and 78,108 injuries.
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