France calls on Israel to cease its operation in Rafah “without delay”


France calls on Israel to cease “without delay” its military operation in Rafah which threatens to create a “catastrophic situation” for the population of the Gaza Strip, its Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement published on X on the night of Friday to Saturday.

“Such an operation threatens to cause a catastrophic situation”

“We call on the Israeli authorities to cease this military operation without delay and to return to the path of negotiations, the only possible path to lead to the immediate release of the hostages and obtain a lasting ceasefire,” indicated the Quai d’Orsay about the situation in Rafah.

“Such an operation threatens to cause a catastrophic situation for the civilian populations of Gaza, already displaced on multiple occasions,” continues the press release from French diplomacy.

IDF carries out incursions into eastern Rafah

In order to “defeat” Hamas, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu considers it necessary to carry out an operation in Rafah, a town in the south of the Gaza Strip where, according to him, the last battalions of the Islamist movement are entrenched but where there are also 1.4 million people. Palestinians, the majority displaced by the violence.

Defying international warnings, the Israeli army has been carrying out incursions into eastern Rafah since Tuesday, and has taken control of the border crossing with Egypt, blocking a key entry point for humanitarian aid convoys. . The army said on Friday it was continuing its “precision anti-terrorist operation” in certain areas of eastern Rafah, and having “eliminated terrorist cells”. The United States is “observing with concern” the military operation in Rafah, but does not consider it “major,” White House spokesperson John Kirby said on Friday.

“France calls on Israel to immediately reopen the Rafah crossing point towards Egypt, which is essential both for access of humanitarian aid to the civilian population and to allow the most vulnerable people to leave the Gaza Strip “, French diplomacy said overnight.





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