Gaza City, Palestine – Saudi Arabia has issued a warning to Israel about potential repercussions if a planned ground invasion of the city of Rafah proceeds, citing a humanitarian crisis that could result from the conflict. The warning follows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s order to develop a plan to evacuate the population of Rafah ahead of the ground invasion, which is aimed at targeting Hamas battalions deployed in the city.

In response to the escalating conflict, Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry called for an immediate ceasefire and condemned the forcible deportation of civilians, emphasizing the need to prevent an imminent humanitarian disaster in Rafah. The warning comes as 31 Palestinians, including 10 children, were killed in Israeli airstrikes in the city on the same day.

The population of Rafah, which stood at 264,000 in early 2022, has ballooned to around 1.4 million as people seek shelter there in the midst of the conflict. Saudi Arabia has emphasized the urgency of convening the U.N. Security Council to address the situation and prevent further escalation of the humanitarian crisis.

The conflict in Gaza has been ongoing for four months, sparked by a surprise terrorist attack by Hamas in October. The violence has resulted in the deaths of at least 28,000 Palestinians and the injury of 67,600 others, according to the health ministry in Gaza. Despite international efforts to negotiate a ceasefire, Israeli forces, under Netanyahu’s leadership, remain committed to fighting until “total victory” is achieved.

The situation has put a strain on diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, with Riyadh reiterating its stance on not recognizing Israel until an independent Palestinian state is established on 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. This comes at a time when Saudi Arabia had been in diplomatic talks with the U.S. to formalize relations with Israel prior to the onset of the conflict.

The warning from Saudi Arabia underscores the broader geopolitical implications of the conflict and the complex dynamics involving multiple stakeholders in the region. As tensions continue to escalate, the international community is likely to face growing pressure to intervene and mitigate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.