Qatar calls on international community to stop Rafah genocide

Qatar called on the international community on Wednesday to prevent a "genocide" in Rafah following Israel's seizure of the Gaza city's crossing with Egypt and threats of a wider assault.

In a statement, the Gulf state, which has been mediating between Israel and Hamas, appealed "for urgent international action to prevent the city from being invaded and a crime of genocide being committed."

Rafah, on the Gaza Strip's border with Egypt, was one of the cities to which Israel sent displaced civilians at the beginning of the war, claiming it was safe.

There are 1.4 million Palestinian civilians in Rafah, the last refuge for civilians displaced from different areas since the beginning of the Israeli offensive on Gaza, which began on Oct. 7. The entry of the Israeli army into the city raises concerns about a significant escalation in the scale of the humanitarian crisis.

Source: AFP