The president of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), Mahmud Abbas, yesterday implored the United States to use its influence on Israel to prevent the military offensive on Rafah, where 1.5 of the 2.3 million ‘inhabitants of the Gaza Strip. “The United States is the only country capable of preventing Israel from committing this crime”, he pointed out during the first day of the World Economic Forum held in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, very focused on the practice of Gaza war
Although the Palestinian National Authority was expelled from Gaza by Hamas in 2007, Mahmud Abbas remains the only acceptable Palestinian interlocutor in the eyes of the international community. The veteran leader spoke in dramatic terms in Riyadh about the announced offensive, both in terms of lives and in terms of the hypothetical displacement of Palestinians (Egypt refuses to open the border with Gaza to receive refugees). The Israeli offensive would be “the worst disaster in the history of the Palestinian people,” Abbas said, a history rich in disasters since the 1948 defeat, the nakba, a disaster that saw the first major exodus of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in the West Bank, Lebanon and Jordan, mainly.
The direct appeal to the United States and its president synthesizes the great fears throughout the region of the effects of a military offensive in Rafah, where the Palestinians from the north of the strip have been concentrating. In the south of this city, overwhelmed by the flow of civilians, there is no sanctuary left.
Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhane certified in Riyadh that the Gaza war “is manifestly a catastrophe from every point of view, also a total failure of the existing political system,” a veiled rebuke to Washington that at the same time it can be interpreted as the desire of Saudi Arabia to gain international influence, in accordance with the new global order that is taking shape in the world.
Mahmud Abbas’ request came hours before Secretary of State Antony Blinken lands in Riyadh to join the forum, just as diplomatic efforts are underway to prevent an unrestricted offensive by Israeli troops. An Egyptian delegation has negotiated a plan with Israel based on a truce in exchange for the release of hostages, although the details have not emerged. The Israeli foreign minister said on Saturday that “the release of the abductees is the highest priority for us”.
The issue is straining the coalition Government chaired by Netanyahu and yesterday the Minister of Finance and Defense, Bezalel Smotrich, threatened to break up the Executive if Israel “decides to wave the white flag and cancel” the military operation in Rafah.
Hamas confirmed yesterday that its representatives will be in Cairo today to give a response to the plan. The terrorist organization continues to have between 133 and 129 hostages, according to sources. Israel estimates that 39 are dead.
On the other hand, the oenagé World Central Kitchen ( WCK ) of the Spaniard José Andrés will resume its work in Gaza today after a month of interruption due to the death of seven used by an Israeli air attack ( admitted by the military, which attributed it to a chain of errors).
Until then, WCK had managed to distribute 43 million meals in the Gaza Strip and now says it has 276 trucks with aid ready.
