LONDON: British Foreign Secretary David Cameron on Monday said that Israel should stop and seriously think before taking any further action in Rafah, after Israel carried out deadly airstrikes in the southern Gaza city that is the last refuge of about a million displaced people.
According to the local health officials 67 Palestinians were killed and dozens other injured in the airstrikes.
When asked about the situation in Rafah and whether Israel had violated international law, Cameron told journalists: “We think it is impossible to see how you can fight a war amongst these people. There’s nowhere for them to go.”
He said the UK is very concerned about the situation and wants Israel to stop and think seriously before taking any further action.
“But above all, what we want is an immediate pause in the fighting and we want that pause to lead to a ceasefire,” he noted.
International Criminal Court Expresses Concerned over Rafah Bombing
The chief prosecutor of International Criminal Court on Monday also voiced deep concern about a possible Israeli ground military offensive into Rafah. He warned that anyone violating international law would be held accountable.
Karim Khan in a statement on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, said: I am deeply concerned by the reported bombardment and potential ground incursion by Israeli forces in Rafah.
The ICC launched an investigation in 2021 against Israel as well as Hamas for possible war crimes in the Palestinian territories.
Karim Khan emphasized, those who do not comply with the law should not complain later when his office acts against them.
I am deeply concerned by the reported bombardment and potential ground incursion by Israeli forces in Rafah.
My Office has an ongoing and active investigation into the situation in the State of Palestine. This is being taken forward as a matter of the utmost urgency, with a…— Karim A. A. Khan KC (@KarimKhanQC) February 12, 2024
Meanwhile, the United Nations also expressed serious concern over the looming possibility of a full-scale Israeli invasion into the densely populated Rafah town of Gaza.
The ongoing Israeli bombardment in Gaza, which started on October 7, has resulted in a devastating toll, with Gaza’s health ministry reporting at least 28,064 Palestinians, mostly women and children.
The Israeli offensive has left 85 percent of Gaza’s population internally displaced amid acute shortages of clean water, food, and medicine, while 60 percent of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.
