Gaza war: Saudi Arabia warns Israel of repercussions if it storms Rafah

Saudi Arabia on Saturday warned Israel of serious repercussions if it storms the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

In a statement issued by Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Kingdom categorically rejected and strongly condemned the forced evacuation of civilians in Rafah and demanded an immediate ceasefire.

"This continued violation of international law and international humanitarian law confirms the necessity of convening the UN Security Council urgently to prevent Israel from causing an imminent humanitarian catastrophe," the statement said.

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Rafah is the last refuge for hundreds of thousands of civilians who were forced to flee Gaza because of the war.

Earlier on Saturday, Israeli airstrikes killed at least 28 Palestinians in Rafah. Each strike killed multiple members of three families, including a total of 10 children, the youngest being three months old.

Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked the military to plan for the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of people ahead of a ground invasion.

(With inputs from AP)

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