'Israeli invasion of Rafah expected within days, only US can stop it': Palestinian President Abbas

The Israeli invasion of Rafah in the Gaza Strip should start within days and only the United States may stop it, said Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas.

Rafah is a city in southern Gaza where more than 1 million Palestinians displaced from the ongoing war have taken refuge. Israelis say multiple battalions of Hamas are also based in the city and a military operation is a must to ensure the defeat of Hamas, which is one of the main objectives of the Israel’s war in Gaza.

US President Joe Biden has said Israel should not launch a military operation in Rafah until it has a credible plan in place to evacuate and rehabilitate civilians sheltering there. The international community, including the Biden administration, has warned that an Israeli invasion of Rafah could lead to a severe humanitarian crisis.

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‘Rafah invasion will be biggest catastrophe in Palestinian history’

The invasion of Rafah will lead to the “biggest catastrophe” in the history of the Palestinians, said Abbas.

Speaking at a gathering of the World Economic Forum (WEF) at Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh, Abbas further said that even a “small strike” on Rafah would force the Palestinians to flee Gaza, as per Reuters.

“What will happen in the coming few days is what Israel will do with attacking Rafah because all the Palestinians from Gaza are gathered there…We call on the United States of America to ask Israel to not carry on the Rafah attack. America is the only country able to prevent Israel from committing this crime,” said Abbas.

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Abbas further said, “The biggest catastrophe in the Palestinian people’s history would then happen.”

Abbas said he rejects the idea of the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza into neighbouring Egypt. He was further quoted as saying that once Israel completes the war in Gaza, it will then attempt to force the Palestinians out of the West Bank into neighbouring Jordan.

The West Bank and Gaza are the two constituents of the envisioned State of Palestine. While the PA of Abbas partially governs West Bank, Hamas has controlled and governed Gaza since 2007. Hamas defeated the Fatah, the mainstream Palestinian political party of Abbas, in the elections in 2006 and then, in the intra-Palestinian fighting that ensued, defeated Fatah’s forces and drove it out of Gaza.

Israel has signaled Rafah invasion is close

In recent days, Israel has signaled that an invasion of Rafah is in the offing.

Reports have surfaced that Israel has started making a tent city near Khan Younis in Gaza to house the evacuated Palestinian civilians before moving in to battle Hamas battalions stationed in Rafah.

There have also been reports that Israel has been amassing armoured vehicles and troops for an invasion of Rafah.

Netanyahu in his statements has also offered hints of an invasion. In his message ahead of the Passover, he said that Israel will deal Hamas “additional painful blows” in the coming days. It was understood to be a hint at the invasion of Rafah.