Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Iran has opened its voice regarding Israel’s attack on the Gaza region, Palestine, which has now reached the southernmost point of the enclave, Rafah. This was conveyed directly by the Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian at X.
In his statement, Hossein warned that there would be serious consequences from Israel’s actions. This is because Rafah, which borders Egypt, is currently filled with refugees from the Gaza City and Khan Younis areas.
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“Expanding the scope of the Israeli occupation regime’s war crimes and genocide against Palestinian refugees in Rafah will have a negative impact on Tel Aviv,” he was quoted as saying by Anadolu Agency, quoted Tuesday (13/2/2024).
Previously, Israeli Prime Minister (PM) Benjamin Netanyahu had ordered his troops to prepare to enter the city which now houses more than half of Gaza’s total population. He said that the Rafah operation would continue until Hamas was eliminated.
“You know, the area we have cleared is north of Rafah, there are many areas there. However, we are currently preparing a detailed plan,” he said.
Israel has carried out prolonged air and ground attacks on the densely populated Gaza enclave since a cross-border attack on October 7 by the Palestinian militant group Hamas. The attack killed 1,160 Israelis.
In addition to killing citizens, Hamas took around 250 Israelis hostage on October 7, according to a tally AFP based on Israeli figures. About half were freed during a one-week ceasefire last November.
Meanwhile, at least 28,000 Gazans have been confirmed killed in Israel’s counterattack on the territory, according to Palestinian authorities. Many of the dead were scattered in the rubble of the coastal strip.
“Israel’s war on Gaza displaced 85% of the territory’s population amid shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the territory’s infrastructure was damaged or destroyed,” according to the UN.
In an interim ruling in January, the International Court of Justice ordered the Israeli government to stop acts of genocide and take action to ensure that humanitarian aid is provided to civilians in Gaza.
On the other hand, Hamas has warned that an Israeli attack on Rafah will have a major impact on negotiations for the release of the Jewish State hostages.
“Any attack by the occupying army on the city of Rafah will derail the exchange negotiations,” a Hamas leader told reporters on condition of anonymity. AFP.
[Gambas:Video CNBC]
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