Justin Trudeau has joined his counterparts in Australia and New Zealand in sharing “deep concerns” about Israel’s impending incursion into Rafah.
In a joint statement, the prime ministers of the three Commonwealth realms have warned of the “catastrophic” consequences of such an operation.
“We are gravely concerned by indications that Israel is planning a ground offensive into Rafah,” the prime ministers said in a joint statement Wednesday. “A military operation into Rafah would be catastrophic. About 1.5 million Palestinians are taking refuge in the area, including many of our citizens and their families. With the humanitarian situation in Gaza already dire, the impacts on Palestinian civilians from an expanded military operation would be devastating. We urge the Israeli government not to go down this path. There is simply nowhere else for civilians to go.”
Israeli forces entered the Gaza strip in October of last year, just over two weeks after Hamas mounted an attack on the Jewish state that claimed 1,200 lives and kidnapped about 250 hostages.
Most of Israel’s operations have been in the northern and eastern portions of the strip, making Rafah, which is home to a border crossing with Egypt, an evacuation point. It is also, Israel contends, a strong base of operations for the terror group Hamas.
“We are thoroughly planning future operations in Rafah, which is a significant Hamas stronghold,” said Israel’s defence minister, Yoav Gallant.
The United States has expressed its own concerns about the move, calling on Israel to produce a “credible plan” for mitigating civilian casualties.
The letter signed by Trudeau and prime ministers Anthony Albanese and Christopher Luxon claims there is an “international consensus” at odds with Israel’s activities.
“There is growing international consensus,” the statement said. “Israel must listen to its friends and it must listen to the international community. The protection of civilians is paramount and a requirement under international humanitarian law. Palestinian civilians cannot be made to pay the price of defeating Hamas.”
The statement reinforced the leaders’ desire for a “sustainable ceasefire” while also calling for a release of hostages currently held by Hamas.
