The Israeli army conducted extensive military strikes on the southern city of Rafah and surrounding areas in the Gaza Strip in the early hours of Monday.
Over recent days, neighbouring countries have issued warnings to Israel, urging them to reconsider a potential ground assault on Rafah. The city, home to over 1.4 million Palestinians, including 1.3 million who fled from northern regions, faces the risk of a severe humanitarian meltdown.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on Friday, announced his directive to the military to prepare for the evacuation of civilians from the overcrowded Rafah, signalling an impending expanded offensive against Hamas.
These statements have raised significant alarm among regional nations, fearing that such a plan could exacerbate the already deteriorating humanitarian situation since the onset of the Israel-Hamas conflict on October 7 last year in the besieged enclave.
Egypt, actively engaged in diplomatic efforts alongside the United States and Qatar to facilitate a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, strongly condemned the Israeli threats to storm the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.
