Sydney (Australia), February 12 (EFE).- Australia has warned of the “devastating consequences” of an Israeli Army operation in the Palestinian city of Rafah, after the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, announced a possible offensive land in what was the only safe area in the Gaza Strip.
“Many friends of Israel, including Australia, have expressed deep concern about the Israeli military operation in Rafah. There is a growing international consensus: Israel must listen to its friends and the international community,” said Australia’s Foreign Minister on Monday. Penny Wong, in a statement to SBS News.
“There are more than a million civilians settled in Rafah. Many civilians have been displaced by Israeli operations in the north and have moved south to this area, often under Israeli instructions. Israel must now be careful. Don’t do it would have devastating consequences for these civilians and would inflict serious damage on Israel’s interests,” Wong added.
At least a hundred people were killed in Israeli airstrikes in Rafah, on the southern tip of the Gaza Strip, early Monday, according to medical sources cited by the official Palestinian news agency Wafa.
Netanyahu assured this Sunday that Israel is determined to carry out a ground offensive on Rafah, while international pressure is growing, warning against this operation in a place where 1.4 million Palestinians are crowded together, the majority internally displaced, and until now the only area safe from the Strip.
The Israeli attack in Rafah occurred just hours after US President Joe Biden asked Netanyahu to refrain from a military offensive in Rafah without a plan to guarantee the safety of civilians.
Since the outbreak of war more than 4 months ago, the offensive on Gaza has left more than 28,100 Palestinians dead. EFE
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By: EFE
2024-02-12 10:27:22
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