MOSCOW, February 14. /TASS/. Russia is concerned about Israel’s strikes on the city of Rafah, located in the Gaza Strip on the border with Egypt, as such attacks are likely to cause a high number of casualties, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"A huge number [of people], very many Palestinians have gathered in Rafah, and therefore any strikes on Rafah are fraught with a multiple increase in casualties. For us, it is a matter of particular concern. We are very closely following the news coming from there," he said.

Peskov added that Russia urges the parties to the conflict to take "actions which will not result in injuries and casualties among civilians."

On February 7, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had been ordered to prepare for the start of fighting in Rafah on the Gaza Strip’s southern border with Egypt. Two days later, he instructed the IDF to prepare a plan to evacuate civilians and eliminate the remaining four battalions of fighters from Palestinian radical movement Hamas in the city. On the night of February 12, Arab media outlets reported that the IDF had launched massive strikes on the city of Rafah. According to the latest data from Al Mayadeen television, at least 100 people were killed in the bombing and more than 230 were injured.