Egypt warns of grave risks of Israeli massive ground attack in Gaza

Cairo, Egypt | Xinhua | Egypt warned on Saturday of the grave risks and unprecedented humanitarian and security repercussions that could be caused by an Israeli large-scale ground attack on the Gaza Strip.

In a statement by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, Egypt held the Israeli government responsible for violating a resolution adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on Friday, which calls for an immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce.

Egypt expressed concern that a ground military operation would potentially increase the number of casualties among civilians, including children and women.

While affirming that a ground operation is a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law, Egypt renewed its call on the Israeli side to facilitate procedures for ensuring safe, complete, and sustainable delivery of humanitarian and relief aid into Gaza.

It warned that failure to immediately address the demands for a humanitarian truce and facilitate the access of aid to Gaza would lead to an inevitable humanitarian catastrophe and pose a threat to regional stability.

Israel increased its airstrikes against the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip and expanded ground operations in the area on Friday night, while local media reported that Palestinian militants fired a barrage of rockets targeting Israeli tanks deployed along the border.

According to the Palestinian health authorities in Gaza, more than 7,700 Palestinians have been killed since the war began. Meanwhile, at least 1,400 people in Israel were killed, the majority of them in the Hamas offensive that occurred on Oct. 7, according to figures released by the Israeli military.