Beijing, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on the United States on April 28 to prevent Israel from launching a military operation against Rafah, a city in the southern Gaza Strip. On the same day, Saudi Arabia's finance minister, Mohammed al-Jadan, warned that the conflict is continuing to weigh on the global economy and called for regional stability.
Abbas made the above appeal when attending a special meeting of the World Economic Forum in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, on the 28th. "We call on the United States to demand that Israel refrain from launching an attack on Rafah," he said. The United States is the only country that can stop Israel from committing this crime. ”
Since October last year, Israeli forces have launched a ground offensive in the Gaza Strip from north to south, and the fighting is now spreading to the city of Rafah, the southernmost part of the Gaza Strip. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has approved the Israeli army to conduct a ground operation in Rafah, and the Israeli army has recently stepped up air strikes in Rafah. The international community opposes Israel's attack on Rafah and fears that the Israeli army's actions will plunge the Gaza Strip into an even more serious humanitarian crisis.
Currently, more than 1.5 million Palestinian civilians have taken refuge in Rafah. Abbas said that even if the Israeli army only launched a "small airstrike" on Rafah, large numbers of Palestinians would be forced to flee the Gaza Strip. "The worst catastrophe in the history of the Palestinian people is about to occur. ”
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Israel Katz said on the 27th that if Israel reaches an agreement with the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), the Israeli army will suspend its attack on Rafah. On the same day, Hamas said it was studying Israel's latest demands for a ceasefire and the release of detainees.
At a time when the situation in Rafah is at a critical juncture, Egypt, Qatar and other countries have stepped up their efforts to mediate. A Hamas official told Reuters on the 28th that a Hamas delegation is scheduled to go to Cairo, the capital of Egypt, on the 29th. Egypt, Qatar and other mediators have tried to broker a six-week ceasefire agreement between the Palestinians and Israelis, but the two sides have not accepted it.
U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller announced on the 27th that Secretary of State Brin will definitely visit Saudi Arabia from the 29th to the 30th. According to reports, Blinken will also attend the special session of the World Economic Forum, a two-day event that brings together nearly 1,000 delegates from 92 countries and regions around the world. According to AFP, Israel did not participate in this special session.
Borg Brende, president of the World Economic Forum, said that negotiations around the Israeli-Palestinian ceasefire and the release of detainees are now gaining momentum, and "we may be able to come out of the impasse in the Gaza Strip."
In a discussion at the special session of the World Economic Forum on the 28th, Saudi Finance Minister Al-Jadan pointed out that the prolongation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the continuation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the friction in other regions have put pressure on the global economy. "I think the clear-headed country and the leaders and the people need to play a leading role...... Regions need to be stabilized. ”
Saudi Arabia's Minister of Economy and Planning Faisal Ibrahim said at a press conference at the special meeting of the World Economic Forum on the 27th that the world "is now walking a tightrope, trying to find a balance between security and prosperity", and "a miscalculation, miscalculation or miscommunication will exacerbate the challenges we face." (Bao Xuelin)