Paris and Washington have expressed serious concern over Israeli plans for a military intervention in Rafah, where there are more than 1.3 million Palestinians.
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Warnings from the international community are increasing. The United States and France spoke out to dissuade Israel from launching a military intervention in Rafah, in the Gaza Strip, on Sunday February 11. Franceinfo summarizes the latest developments on the front of the war in Gaza.
Joe Biden once again calls for “a credible plan” for the security of the population in Rafah
US President Joe Biden once again urged the Israeli Prime Minister not to carry out a military operation in Rafah without “a credible and feasible plan” For “Ensure the security” civilians, detailed the White House in a press release. More than 1.3 million Palestinians are in the city in the south of the Gaza Strip where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is threatening to launch an offensive. The President of the United States also asked Benjamin Netanyahu “urgent and specific measures” to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza, during a telephone conversation.
An offensive on Rafah would create an “unjustifiable” humanitarian crisis, warns France
“A large-scale Israeli offensive in Rafah would create a catastrophic humanitarian situation of a new dimension and unjustifiable”fears the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which took a position in a press release on Sunday February 11. “France expresses its deepest concern after the Israeli strikes in Rafah”, “opposes any forced displacement of populations” and demands that Israel take “concrete measures to protect the lives of civilian populations”.
Attack on Rafah would ‘threaten’ negotiations, Hamas warns
An official of the Palestinian Islamist movement, quoted by AFP on Sunday, warned Israel about the consequences of a military operation in this city on the talks about an end to the fighting, and the release of hostages held in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.
Israel promises ‘safe passage’ for civilians before intervening in Rafah
“We will take the last terrorist battalions of Hamas and Rafah, which is the last bastion”declared Benjamin Netanyahu in an interview with the American channel ABC News broadcast on Sunday. “We will do it (…) while ensuring safe passage for the civilian population so that they can leave” the places, he added. “We are developing a detailed system to achieve this”he added, “we don’t approach this casually”.
The United States carries out new strikes against the Houthis
“On February 10, between 4:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. Sanaa time, [les forces américaines] successfully carried out self-defense strikes”declared in a statement the United States military command for the Middle East, Centcom. The strikes took place north of the western Yemeni port city of Hodeida and targeted two naval surface drones as well as three mobile anti-ship missile systems “which were about to be launched against ships in the Red Sea”specifies the press release.