On Tuesday, Egypt issued a warning, expressing concerns that Israel’s planned ground invasion of Rafah in southern Gaza could have “catastrophic repercussions” for peace in the Middle East.

Foreign ministers from Arab League countries conveyed to the United Nations Human Rights Council that some nations were overlooking the suffering in Gaza.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry emphasized that the extreme polarization resulting from the Gaza war had revealed the double standards of certain members of the UN’s top rights body.

Israel has indicated that a truce with Hamas would only delay, not prevent, a ground invasion of Rafah on the Egyptian border, where approximately 1.4 million Palestinian civilians have sought refuge from the ongoing conflict.

“The world is witnessing the most heinous crimes and violations against the Palestinian people,” Shoukry said.

He called for an immediate ceasefire and urged Israel not to attack Rafah, Barron’s reported.

“Any military action in the present circumstances would have catastrophic repercussions that undermine peace in the region,” he warned.

The conflict in Gaza originated when the Hamas militant group, in control of the Palestinian territory, initiated an attack on October 7, resulting in approximately 1,160 casualties in Israel, mostly civilians, according to figures from AFP.

Additionally, Hamas militants took hostages, with 130 still held in Gaza.

In response, Israel launched a retaliatory bombardment and ground offensive in Gaza, leading to the reported deaths of at least 29,878 people, predominantly women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-controlled territory.

Written by B.C. Begley