The European Union on Wednesday called on Israel to immediately end its operation in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, while the Chinese Foreign Ministry expressed its opposition to a military operation in Rafah, and Ireland also condemned settler attacks on relief convoys heading to Gaza.
The European Union – in a statement issued by Foreign Policy Coordinator Josep Borrell on behalf of the bloc – warned Israel that launching a large-scale attack on Rafah, which is crowded with displaced people, would put severe pressure on the European Union’s relationship with it.
On the anniversary of the Nakba, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the injustice suffered by the Palestinian people has worsened since the displacement of more than half of them 76 years ago.
She added that Israel’s continuation of its military operation in Rafah puts China’s relationship with it under severe pressure, as she put it.
Settlers attacks
With the repeated attacks by settlers on aid convoys heading to Gaza, Irish President Michael Higgins said that everyone who supports human rights is horrified by the attacks on relief convoys.
He condemned the attack on aid convoys, saying that it came while the people of Gaza were suffering from famine.
Yesterday, Tuesday, the United Nations stressed the need for Israel to protect humanitarian aid convoys heading to Gaza from settler violence, after Israeli settlers attacked a shipment coming from Jordan.
It is noteworthy that the occupation forces are still preventing the entry of aid from the Rafah crossing, which they announced control over last week, while the Kerem Shalom crossing continues to be closed to the entry of aid.
Despite international condemnations, the occupation army launched an operation that it described as “limited” east of Rafah on May 7, forcing about 300,000 Palestinians to flee again.
