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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, known as Abu Mazen, called on the United States to urgently intervene to stop the Israeli attack on Rafah, fearing it could lead to “the greatest disaster in the history of the Palestinian people.” The appeal came during the World Economic Forum (WEF) summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where Abu Mazen underlined that the US is the only country with the power to put pressure on Israel to stop its military operations.
UNRWA alarm: Israel prepares large-scale operation in Rafah
The alarm was raised by Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner general of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), who in an exclusive interview with Tass warned that Israel could prepare a large-scale military operation in Rafah. The news immediately raised international concern and generated demonstrations by Palestinians and their supporters. In Israel, family members of hostages still held by Hamas have staged protests, calling on the government to do more to secure the release of their loved ones. Recently, a video was released showing two hostages begging Netanyahu to reach an immediate agreement for their release.
Netanyahu fears arrest warrant from ICC
Developments in Israel are moving on multiple fronts. The government is also working to prevent the International Criminal Court (ICC) from issuing arrest warrants against senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Israel Defense Forces chief Herzi Halevi. According to Israeli news site Walla, Netanyahu spent the weekend on the phone with US officials, trying to secure their support to block any ICC legal action. The concern stems from the possibility that the ICC prosecutor, Karim Khan, could issue the arrest warrants later in the week.
Towards the meeting between Abu Mazen and Anthony Blinken
The echo of the conflict is also being felt in the United States, where there have been arrests of pro-Palestinian protesters who had camped out in some universities, demonstrating how tensions in the Middle East have a global impact. Meanwhile, Abu Mazen is preparing to meet US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, in the hope of finding diplomatic solutions to the ongoing crisis. The international community is watching carefully, aware that developments in this region have profound implications for global stability and the future of relations between Israel and Palestine.