The African Union Commission (AUC) and the General Secretariate of League of Arab States (LAS) have underscored that an Israeli invasion would undoubtedly entail a huge number of civilian casualties.
In a joint statement released on Monday, while both Organisations stressed the pressing need to avoid escalation, adding the invasion could lead to a genocide of unprecedented proportions.
Israel declared war on the Palestinian militant group Hamas after it carried out an unprecedented attack by air, sea and land on last week Saturday.
The large-scale surprise assault has left at least 900 dead in Israel, prompted a lethal volley of retaliatory Israeli airstrikes on Gaza that killed at least 687 people.
As they retreated into Gaza, the militants claimed to have taken at least 100 hostages with them and have threatened to kill them if airstrikes target Gaza without warning while Israel pledged that Hamas will pay a heavy price.
AUC and LAS called for the immediate cessation of hostilities in Gaza, and a concerted international effort to provide basic assistance and urgent humanitarian aid to 2.2 million Palestinians.
They expressed grave concern over the Israeli order for more than one million Palestinians to leave their homes, contrary to international law, therefore calling on United Nations and the international community to stop a catastrophe unfolding in front of the world, before it is too late.
While urging international community to live up to the shared principles of humanity and justice, both LAS and AUC underscored the imperative of collective action to immediately prevent a protracted aggression against the Palestinians.
They appealed of opening a humanitarian corridor in light of the increasingly worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with no access to drinking water, electricity and the near collapse of the medical sector.
Also urged that the humanitarian corridor will provide basic assistance to the population of Gaza and rescue the wounded, while emphasizing that collective punishment should not be accepted.
Both organizations stressed that ultimately, a political solution based on the two-State vision is the only way to guarantee peace and security for all peoples and States in the region.
