Iran's Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, issued a stern warning over Israel's planned ground invasion of the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, emphasizing that it will have serious consequences for the regime. In a social media post on Monday, he highlighted the potential expansion of Israel's war crimes and genocide to include Palestinian refugees in Rafah, cautioning Tel Aviv about the repercussions.
The warning follows extensive air raids and artillery strikes by the Israeli regime on Rafah, resulting in the deaths of at least 100 civilians, predominantly women and children, and injuring nearly 230 others. The aggression comes amid a mass exodus of more than 1.4 million people, seeking refuge in Rafah due to Israel's ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip, which has claimed the lives of over 28,300 Palestinians since October 7, 2023.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's directive to prepare for evacuating civilians from Rafah ahead of the planned ground operation was met with skepticism from aid organizations, given the scale of devastation in Gaza and the trapped population.
Iran's Foreign Minister, currently on a regional tour, condemned the US's provision of weapons to Israel and emphasized the need for a political solution to the Gaza conflict. He underscored the necessity for the US to choose action over mere words in ending the violence.
In a meeting with his Qatari counterpart, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Amir-Abdollahian praised Qatar's diplomatic efforts to halt the Israeli onslaught on Gaza. He criticized Netanyahu's prioritization of war and US support for the continuation of conflict, despite advocating for peace and ceasefire rhetorically.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kan'ani warned of another humanitarian catastrophe and war crime against Palestinians if Israel proceeds with its ground invasion of Rafah. He emphasized that such an invasion would undermine ongoing ceasefire talks and violate an interim ruling by the International Court of Justice to prevent genocide in Gaza.
