26 EU countries warn Israel against 'catastrophic' Rafah offensive
(VOVWORLD) - All European Union countries except Hungary warned Israel on Monday against launching an offensive in Rafah that they said would deepen the catastrophe of some 1.5 million refugees crammed into the city on the southern edge of Gaza.
 Palestinians gather near a crater at the site of an Israeli strike on a house, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, February 18, 2024. (Photo: Reuters) |
An attack on Rafah would be absolutely catastrophic, Ireland's Foreign Minister Micheal Martin said before a meeting of foreign ministers from the 27 EU member states in Brussels.
After the talks ended, all but one of them called in a joint statement for an immediate humanitarian pause that would lead to a lasting ceasefire, the unconditional release of all hostages and the provision of humanitarian assistance.
Israel is preparing to mount a ground offensive in Rafah, which it has called a last bastion of Hamas control after nearly five months of conflict.