France, Egypt, Jordan warn Israel against Rafah assault

The leaders of France, Egypt and Jordan warned Israel on Monday against launching a threatened offensive against the southern Gaza city of Rafah, urging an "immediate" ceasefire in its war on Hamas."We warn against the dangerous consequences of an Israeli offensive on Rafah," said a joint editorial published in several newspapers by France's President Emmanuel Macron, Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordan's King Abdullah II.They urged that a UN Security Council call for a ceasefire "be fully implemented without further delay"."Such an offensive will only bring more death and suffering, heighten the risks and consequences of mass forcible displacement of the people of Gaza and threaten regional escalation."
"The war in Gaza and the catastrophic humanitarian suffering it is causing must end now," the three leaders said in the op-ed published by Le Monde in France, the Washington Post in the United States, Al Rai in Jordan and Al Ahram in Egypt.They called for a "massive increase" in aid being allowed into Gaza.
Israel is under growing international pressure to agree to a ceasefire, including from its top ally and arms supplier the United States.Hamas meanwhile said on Monday it was studying a proposal for a truce and hostage-prisoner swap after talks in Cairo.Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said it was the right time for a deal, six months into a war with the Islamist militants in Gaza.But while negotiations continued, Netanyahu said a date has been set for sending troops into Rafah.