Vivian reiterates S'pore's concerns over planned Israeli assault on Rafah

S’pore Foreign Minister tells Israel’s leaders that their military response has gone too far

- Kok Yufeng

JERUSALEM pressed its concerns over the significant impact that plans by Israel to launch a military assault on the city of Rafah in Gaza will have on the estimated 1.5 million people sheltering there, said Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan.

Singapore has exSpeaking to reporters on March 19 after meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as other officials and parliamentarians, Dr Balakrishnan said that while the hope is for at least an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to deliver aid to Gaza, he is pessimistic over the outcome of ongoing ceasefire talks.

Israel is facing mounting international pressure, including from its staunchest allies like the United States, to hold off plans for a ground offensive into Rafah, which Israel says is needed to eliminate Hamas militants in the Gaza border city.

World leaders who have spoken out against a military push into Rafah include German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who questioned the "terribly high costs" of the planned offensive after he met Mr Netanyahu in Jerusalem on March 17.

Mr Scholz had earlier warned that the large number of civilian casualties that would result from it would make regional peace "very difficult".

Mr Netanyahu has said Israel will not bow down to pressure to call off its plans. He told lawmakers on March 19 that the Israeli military will go ahead with the expected ground operation.

Asked if bilateral ties would be affected if Israel carries out the assault on Rafah, Dr Balakrishnan said: "No, we will have to see what happens."

"In the end, (Mr Netanyahu) is the man who has to make the decisions for Israel. He is accountable to his people, and he will also be accountable for the consequences," the minister added.