The Muslim Council of Elders, under the chairmanship of His Eminence Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, expresses deep concern about the threats from the Israeli occupation forces to launch a military operation in the city of Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip, which is densely populated with Palestinian refugees. The Council also expresses its alarm by the serious humanitarian repercussions that military operations may cause.

The Council warns of the dangerous consequences of invading and targeting the city of Rafah, which houses hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinian civilians forced to flee various areas of the Gaza Strip due to Israeli aggression which poses a serious threat of a humanitarian catastrophe and further bloodshed. The Council strongly rejects any attempts at the forced deportation of the Palestinian people and any practices that violate international and humanitarian law.

The Muslim Council of Elders calls on the international community to take urgent measures to stop the aggression against the Gaza Strip and to protect innocent civilians and allow the entry of humanitarian aid, and reach an immediate solution to end the conflict. It also supports the legitimate right of the Palestinian people to establish an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital.