China has called on Israel to swiftly stop its planned ground assault on overcrowded Rafah, warning of a “serious humanitarian disaster” if the occupying regime invades the Gaza Strip’s southernmost city.
“China follows closely the developments in the Rafah area, opposes and condemns actions that harm civilians and violate international law,” a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said in a statement.
The senior diplomat also urged Israel to “stop its military operation as soon as possible, (and) make every effort to avoid innocent civilian casualties, in order to prevent a more serious humanitarian disaster in the Rafah area.”
Rafah, situated in Gaza’s closed southern border with Egypt, is home to about 1.4 million Palestinians who have been displaced due to the Tel Aviv regime’s genocidal war on the besieged territory.
Israel had designated Rafah a “safe zone,” but it is now threatening an all-out military offensive, leaving the people sheltering there terrified with nowhere left to go.
The looming onslaught has mounted fears over a new carnage against Palestinians and drawn global condemnations.
Israel conducted a predawn raid in Rafah on Monday, killing over 100 Palestinians and injuring hundreds more.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said the death toll proved the warnings of “the catastrophic consequences” of a looming attack on the densely-populated Gaza city.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed that the regime will provide “safe passage” for civilians out of Rafah.
In reaction, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell lashed out at Netanyahu, saying, “They are going to evacuate (people from Rafah)! Where – to the moon? Where are they going to evacuate these people?”
Meanwhile, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the world body “will not be party to forced displacement of people,” noting that “there is no place that is currently safe in Gaza.”
