Hamas says Rafah ground assault would ‘blow up’ hostage talks; Qatar condemns potential attack
Qatar, a Gulf state that has been key in facilitating hostage and cease-fire negotiations with Hamas, has condemned Israeli threats to escalate military action in Rafah, joining leaders across the globe in warning of a potential humanitarian catastrophe.
In a statement on X, the Qatari foreign ministry condemned “in the strongest terms” threats to “storm” the city of Rafah, calling on the U.N. Security Council to “take urgent action” to prevent Israel “committing genocide in the city, and to provide full protection of civilians under international law.”
Qatar, which has no formal relationship with Israel, has hosted both Israeli and Hamas officials for talks in Doha, acting as a crucial mediator between the two sides.
Hamas leadership this morning told Al-Aqsa TV, its official media channel, that any Israeli escalation in Rafah would amount to “blowing up the prisoner exchange negotiations,” warning of tens of thousands of civilian casualties.
Fear spreads in Rafah after Israel readies ground invasion
TEL AVIV — A refuge waits for war.
Israel has said it is preparing to turn its guns on Rafah, a city in the southern Gaza Strip where many had been told to flee for safety.
“You said this would be a safe place. How many times are you going to lie to us saying this place is safe and then turning back and bombing us,” one resident of the overcrowded city told NBC News.
Iran marks Islamic Revolution with calls to expel Israel from the U.N.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi marked the 45th anniversary of the country’s Islamic Revolution at a rally in Tehran today, telling crowds in the capital’s central Azadi Square that the issue of Palestinian liberation was “humanity’s top priority.”
Images released by state news agency Tasnim showed demonstrators carrying signs reading “down with USA” as Raisi accused Iran’s “enemies” of waging…
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