Mahmoud Abbas: Palestinian president expects ground assault on Rafah to start ‘in coming days’, leading to 'the biggest catastrophe in the Palestinian people’s history'

Mahmoud Abbas said a ground assault could create ‘the biggest catastrophe in the Palestinian people’s history’

The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas has said he expects Israel’s long-anticipated assault on the Gazan city of Rafah to occur “in the coming few days”, warning that only the US has the power to stop Israel’s assault on Gaza.

Mr Abbas’ warning came as Nancy Pelosi, former speaker of the US House of Representatives, said Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, “couldn’t have done things worse” with regard to the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Meanwhile, Israeli media has reported that Mr Netanyahu fears the international criminal court (ICC) could soon issue an arrest warrant against him.

Palestinian youths search the rubble of a building hit in overnight Israeli bombardment in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

A statement from the Israeli government, however vowed the actions of the court in The Hague would “not affect Israel’s actions”, however said they could “set a dangerous precedent that threatens soldiers and public figures”.

Mr Abbas called on the US to ask Israel to abandon plans for the Rafah attack.

"America is the only country able to prevent Israel from committing this crime,” Mr Abbas told a special meeting of the World Economic Forum.“What will happen in the coming few days is what Israel will do with attacking Rafah because all the Palestinians from Gaza are gathered there.”

He said even a “small strike” on Gaza could force people to flee.

“The biggest catastrophe in the Palestinian people’s history would then happen,” he said.

Mr Netanyahu believes four brigades of Hamas fighters are hiding in Rafah. He has vowed to stamp out the group, which was behind the 7 October attacks, which killed over 1,000 Israelis and saw hundreds more taken hostage.

Initially a safe haven for people from northern Gaza, where people were told to evacuate early in the conflict ahead of Israeli bombardments, the city is now home to around 1.3 million people – more than half of Gaza’s population. Its population before the conflict began was just 250,000.

Most of the residents are living in temporary structures such as tents and aid organisations have warned of a dire humanitarian situation.

Israel has launched air strikes on the city, which has been home to a large refugee camp since 1949 and was badly damaged in the 2008 Gaza War. However, it has long been expected to initiate a ground assault.

Get a daily digest of news from around the globe with The World Explained newsletter

The border point is the only one from Gaza that crosses into a country other than Israel and was used last year by citizens of other countries, including those from the UK who had been trapped. It is also where all humanitarian aid crosses into Gaza.

Speaking on BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Ms Pelosi said Mr Netanyahu “has never been an agent for peace” and she is “not a big fan” of the Israeli prime minister.

When asked for her opinion on the student protests against the war happening across the US, she said: “Israel has the right to defend itself – the manner in which they are doing it is really challenging because Netanyahu has never been an agent for peace.

“I’m not a big fan of his, but he couldn’t have done things worse than tens of thousands, whatever the figure may be, of people dying, children malnourished, and the uncertainty that is there, and that’s what people are speaking out about.