RAMALLAH, March 17 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Sunday that preventing Israeli forces from invading Gaza's southern city of Rafah is an urgent priority.
"The urgent matter and priority for us is to prevent Israeli forces from invading Rafah, to which more than 1.5 million Palestinians have been displaced, which will cause a humanitarian catastrophe," said Abbas during his meeting with Brazilian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mauro Vieira in the West Bank city of Ramallah, according to Palestinian News Agency WAFA.
Abbas also stressed the importance of accelerating the entry of humanitarian, relief and medical aid into the Gaza Strip, calling for a greater international effort to oblige Israel to open all crossings leading to Gaza to bring in relief aid and begin reconstruction.
His remarks come after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved Friday a plan for the Israel Defense Forces to launch an operation on Rafah. ■
