The African Union and the Arab League warned that an Israeli ground invasion of the Gaza Strip “could lead to unprecedented genocide.”

A joint statement issued after a meeting between the Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, and the Chairman of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki, called for an "immediate cessation of military actions in Gaza."

He warned that "an Israeli ground operation in Gaza will undoubtedly involve a large number of civilian casualties, including women and children, which may lead to unprecedented genocide."