Palestinian president Abbas says US only nation capable of preventing Israel’s invasion of Rafah
- Mahmoud Abbas spoke at the World Economic Forum in Saudi Arabia. Israel is not taking part in the summit, which is being attended by ceasefire mediators
- Riyadh has called for regional stability, warning of the effects of the Israel-Gaza war. ‘Cool-headed countries and leaders and people need to prevail’
Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday said the United States is the only country capable of stopping an Israeli invasion of Rafah in Gaza, saying it would be “the biggest disaster in the history of the Palestinian people”.
“We appeal to the United States of America to ask Israel to stop the Rafah operation because America is the only country capable of preventing Israel from committing this crime,” Abbas said at a global economic summit in the Saudi capital Riyadh.
Israel, which has threatened for weeks to launch an all-out assault on the area, saying its goal is to destroy Hamas’ remaining battalions there, stepped up air strikes on Rafah last week.
Western countries, including Israel’s closest ally the United States, have pleaded with it to hold back from attacking the southern city, which abuts the Egyptian border and is sheltering more than a million Palestinians who fled Israel’s seven-month long assault on much of the rest of Gaza.
“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,” Abbas said at the World Economic Forum (WEF), adding that only a “small strike” on Rafah would force the Palestinian population to flee the Gaza strip.
“The biggest catastrophe in the Palestinian people’s history would then happen.”
