Cairo stressed its complete rejection of statements issued by high-level officials in the Israeli government regarding a potential military operation in Rafah CAIRO: Egypt has condemned Israeli plans to carry out a military campaign on Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Cairo stressed its complete rejection of statements issued by high-level officials in the Israeli government regarding a potential military operation in Rafah. A statement by the Foreign Ministry said that Egypt has warned Israel of the dire consequences of a military campaign in the city, which now shelters about 1.4 million Palestinians who fled southward since Oct. 7. Cairo called for concerted international and regional efforts to prevent the targeting of Rafah, and condemned Israel’s blocking of humanitarian aid as a “flagrant violation” of international humanitarian law and UN resolutions. Egypt is continuing to urge all parties in the conflict to reach an immediate ceasefire and swap hostages and detainees, the statement added. The international community must intensify pressure on Israel to prevent it from taking measures that would further inflame the situation, it said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly threatened an Israeli incursion into Rafah, promising “safe passage” to civilians in the area. “We’re going to do it while providing safe passage for the civilian population so they can leave,” he said in statements reported by ABC News.