RIYADH: Saudi Arabia has issued a warning about the “extremely dangerous repercussions” of an Israeli offensive in the southern city of Rafah in the Gaza Strip. The Saudi foreign ministry stated that Rafah serves as the last refuge for hundreds of thousands of civilians displaced by the Israeli aggression.
The Kingdom strongly condemned the forced displacement of Palestinians, emphasizing the urgent need for an immediate ceasefire.
Saudi Arabia called attention to the deliberate violations of international and humanitarian laws, urging the United Nations Security Council to convene promptly to prevent Israel from causing an imminent humanitarian disaster.
With approximately half of Gaza’s 2.4 million people seeking shelter in Rafah, concerns have risen regarding the lack of food, water, and sanitation, prompting Saudi Arabia to underscore the severity of the situation.
Reports indicate that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has instructed military officials to devise plans for the evacuation of Rafah and the targeting of Hamas fighters in the city. Witness accounts of new strikes on Rafah on Saturday have heightened fears of a potential ground invasion.
In response, Hamas issued a statement warning of catastrophic repercussions and the possibility of tens of thousands of casualties if Rafah is invaded.
Meanwhile, Iran strongly condemned the U.S. administration’s assassination of senior Iraqi commander Abu Baqir al-Saadi and other resistance fighters, labeling it a “terrorist act” committed by the U.S. inside Iraq.
The drone strike in Baghdad, acknowledged by the U.S. military, resulted in the death of three individuals, including the senior commander of Iraq’s Kata’ib Hezbollah resistance group.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani characterized the assassination as a “clear example of American state terrorism,” emphasizing that it violates Iraq’s national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and international law.
He connected the attack to the U.S. government’s ongoing support for the actions of the Zionist regime against the Palestinian people.
Kanaani extended condolences to the Iraqi nation, government, and the families of those affected. The incident followed a series of U.S. airstrikes in Iraq and neighboring Syria, causing nearly 40 casualties.
Kanaani warned that such U.S. actions pose a threat to regional and international peace and security.
Various resistance groups in West Asia, including Kata’ib Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Ansarullah, strongly condemned the U.S. assassination, linking it to American support for the Zionist entity and describing it as an aggression against the entire Iraqi people.
I am an experienced writer, analyst, and author. My exposure in English journalism spans more than 28 years. In the past, I have been working with daily The Muslim (Lahore Bureau), daily Business Recorder (Lahore/Islamabad Bureaus), Daily Times, Islamabad, daily The Nation (Lahore and Karachi). With daily The Nation, I have served as Resident Editor, Karachi. Since 2009, I have been working as a Freelance Writer/Editor for American organizations.
