Palestinians line up for a free meal in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Feb 16, 2024. (PHOTO / AP)

JERUSALEM/BRUSSELS/GAZA/BEIRUT/PARIS - Israel's Wartime Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz warned on Friday that fighting in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza Strip will continue during Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting, if Israeli hostages are not released.

"Either the hostages will be returned, or we will extend the fighting to Rafah," he said in a video statement.

Ramadan 2024 is expected to begin on or around March 11.

Israel will keep in touch with Egypt and other countries and evacuate residents in Rafah before launching ground operations into the southernmost city in Gaza, according to Gantz.   

"There will not be a ceasefire of even one day until the hostages are returned" and Israeli goals are achieved, he added. 

ALSO READ: Israel says its forces killed Hamas, Hezbollah commanders

The European Union's foreign policy chief urged the Israeli government to restrain, saying that military action in Rafah "would worsen an already catastrophic humanitarian situation and prevent the urgently needed provision of basic services and humanitarian assistance".

At least 20 Palestinians were killed and several others wounded in Israeli airstrikes on various areas in the Gaza Strip on Friday, according to Palestinian medical sources, while the Israeli army announced the death of two soldiers in the ongoing battles

Josep Borrell, the EU's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, said the bloc "reiterates the importance of ensuring the protection of all civilians at all times in line with International humanitarian law and to respect the Jan 26 order of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which is legally binding".

The Hague-based ICJ on Jan 26 ordered Israel to take all possible measures to prevent genocide acts in the Gaza Strip.

Borrell said the EU recognizes the right of Israel to defend itself in line with international law and international humanitarian law. He also reiterated the EU's call on Hamas for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.

Fighting continues; Hezbollah pledges retaliation

At least 20 Palestinians were killed and several others wounded in Israeli airstrikes on various areas in the Gaza Strip on Friday, according to Palestinian medical sources, while the Israeli army announced the death of two soldiers in the ongoing battles.

ALSO READ: Israeli forces rescue 2 hostages in Rafah, kill 67 Palestinians

Meanwhile, the Gaza-based health ministry announced the deaths of four patients in the intensive care unit due to a lack of oxygen caused by the power outage at the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.

The ministry said the Nasser Hospital is witnessing a "catastrophic situation" due to the lack of medical capabilities and the imminent depletion of fuel within the next 24 hours.

Palestinians look at the destruction after an Israeli strike on a residential building in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Feb 16, 2024. (PHOTO / AP)

Hamas rejected the Israeli army's claim that the hospital was used for military purposes, saying it was a lie to justify the "war crimes".

Meanwhile, the Israeli army announced the killing of 2 soldiers during fightings that took place south of the Gaza Strip in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of soldiers killed since the beginning of the war to over 570, with 2909 others injured, according to a website affiliated with the Israeli Ministry of Defense.

Nasrallah accused the United States of the bloodshed taking place in Gaza and Lebanon, saying the weapons Israel used in these attacks come from Washington

Also on Friday, Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said Israel will pay a heavy price for killing women and children in airstrikes on Nabatieh and al-Sawaneh in southern Lebanon, local TV channel al-Manar reported.

READ MORE: Report: Israel frees 2 hostages, over 100 killed in Gaza's Rafah

"The enemy should anticipate this response as we do not tolerate any harm to civilians," Nasrallah said in a televised speech, noting that the response would be an escalation of resistance efforts as Israel has crossed a red line by targeting civilians.

Nasrallah assured that the attacks against Israel from southern Lebanon will not stop until the conflict in the Gaza Strip ends.

According to Nasrallah, Hezbollah launched dozens of Katyusha rockets and several Falaq rockets at the northern Israeli city of Kiryat Shmona a day earlier as an initial response to the attacks on Nabatieh and al-Sawaneh.

In his speech, Nasrallah accused the United States of the bloodshed taking place in Gaza and Lebanon, saying the weapons Israel used in these attacks come from Washington.

ALSO READ: WHO warns of 'catastrophe' if Israel expands assault on Rafah

Over the past few days, Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon have intensified, resulting in the rise of deaths among both civilians and Hezbollah fighters. According to Lebanese security sources, at least 293 people on the Lebanese side, including 200 Hezbollah members and 56 civilians, have been killed in the Hezbollah-Israel confrontations.

French President Emmanuel Macron (right) and King Abdullah II of Jordan (left) give a joint statement at the Elysee Palace in Paris, on Feb 16, 2024. (PHOTO / POOL VIA AFP)

France, Jordan call for two-state solution

French President Emmanuel Macron and King Abdullah II of Jordan on Friday called for a two-state solution to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

"The only viable solution to meet the security needs of the Israeli people and the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people is the effective implementation of the two-state solution," Macron said at a joint press conference in Paris with King Abdullah II.

We need to find a political solution that leads to peace, based on the creation of two states. This is the only way to guarantee peace and security for the Palestinians, for Israel, and for the region.

Abdullah II, King of Jordan

"The recognition of a Palestinian state is not a taboo for France," Macron said. "We owe it to the Palestinians, whose aspirations have been trampled for too long. We owe it to the Israelis, who have lived through the greatest anti-Semitic massacre of our century. We owe it to a region that aspires to escape promoters of chaos and sowers of revenge."

READ MORE: UN chief: Two-state solution only way out of Gaza conflict

Macron insisted that an Israeli military offensive at Rafah would result in "an unprecedented humanitarian disaster and would be a turning point" for the conflicts in Gaza.

"I share the fears of Jordan and Egypt of a forced and massive displacement of the population. This would be another serious violation of international law and a major risk of regional escalation," he said, reiterating that the absolute priority is "to obtain an agreement on a ceasefire" in Gaza.

Meanwhile, King Abdullah II said the two countries are working together to "put an end to this war and to deal with this humanitarian catastrophe".

READ MORE: Palestine: Full UN membership 'right path to two-state solution'

"We need to find a political solution that leads to peace, based on the creation of two states. This is the only way to guarantee peace and security for the Palestinians, for Israel, and for the region," he underlined.