NNA - France on Sunday urged Israel to stop the fighting in the Gaza Strip to avoid a "disaster," expressing its deep concern following the Israeli strikes on the city of Rafah in the far south of the devastated Strip, according to Agence France-Presse.

Assistant spokesman for the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Christophe Lemoine, said in a written statement, “A large-scale Israeli attack on Rafah will lead to a catastrophic humanitarian situation of new and unjustified dimensions,” adding, “With the aim of avoiding a catastrophe, we reiterate our call to stop the fighting.”

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