Rafah offensive will have 'severe consequences,' Iran warns Israel

WASHINGTON

Iranian foreign minister on Monday warned of "severe consequences" after Israeli premier vowed to take further action in Rafah in the south of Gaza.

"Extending the scope of war crimes and genocide of the occupying Israeli regime to the Palestinian refugees in Rafah will have severe consequences for Tel Aviv," Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on X.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered Israeli army to develop a dual plan to evacuate civilians from Rafah, home to more than 1.4 million residents seeking refuge from war, and to defeat the remaining "Hamas battalions."

Palestinians have sought refuge in Rafah as Israel pounded the rest of the enclave since Oct. 7. The ensuing Israeli bombardment has killed more than 28,340 victims and caused mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

The Israeli war on Gaza has 85% of the territory’s population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure was damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

In an interim ruling in January, the International Court of Justice ordered Israel’s government to desist from genocidal acts and to take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.