On Wednesday, Dutch interim prime minister Mark Rutte was received in Cairo by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi.
The Israel-Gaza war was discussed by the two leaders.
El-Sissi cautioned Israel against initiating a ground-based military operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah during a joint news conference.
“Egypt additionally issues a warning against the Israeli proposal to initiate a ground military assault in the Palestinian city of Rafah, endangering the lives of over 1.5 million displaced individuals,” the speaker stated.
El-Sissi received praise from Rutte for Egypt’s “essential logistical, humanitarian, and critical role in this catastrophe.”
The 2.3 million residents of Gaza are concentrated in Rafah, which is close to Egypt.
After Israeli evacuation orders that now encompass two thirds of the region, many people evacuated there.
Israel’s chief military spokesman said civilians in Rafah would be directed toward “humanitarian islands” that would provide temporary housing, food, water and other necessities.
He did not specify when the Rafah offensive might start or when this would happen.
Egypt has already issued warnings that any attempt by Palestinians to enter Egypt would jeopardize the peace agreement between Egypt and Israel, which dates back four decades.
According to the Health Ministry of Gaza, since the beginning of the conflict, more than 31,270 Palestinians have lost their lives there.
On October 7, during the Hamas-led incursion in southern Israel, almost 1,200 people—mostly civilians—were killed.
(Africanews)
