Baghdad, Feb 11 (IANS): The Iraqi Foreign Ministry hazs urged the international community to thwart an Israeli plan to launch a military operation in the southernmost Gazan city of Rafah.

The Ministry said on Saturday in a statement that it was following with great concern the reports about an Israeli plan to carry out a ground operation that would lead to "a new humanitarian catastrophe and massacre" in Rafah, Xinhua news agency reported.

It calls for "an international intervention to prevent mass forced displacement plans pursued by the occupation forces".

The Ministry also reiterated the need to stop military operations against the Palestinians and to provide humanitarian aid to them.

On Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the army to prepare a plan for a ground operation in Rafah to eliminate what remains of Hamas brigades.

Since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict in the Gaza Strip on October 7 last year, over half of the 2.3 million residents in Gaza have fled to Rafah to search for a safe place.