The Palestinian president said he expects Israel to attack the southern city of Rafah – where more than 1.5 million people are sheltering – in the coming days.

Speaking at a conference in the Saudi capital, Mahmoud Abbas said: “What will happen in the coming few days is what Israel will do with attacking Rafah because all the Palestinians from Gaza are gathered there.”

He added that only a “small strike” on Rafah would force the Palestinian population to flee the Gaza strip.

“The biggest catastrophe in the Palestinian people’s history would then happen,” he said.

Israel has long threatened to attack the city, drawing intense opposition from Israel’s allies who say it would cause thousands of civilian casualties. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu says four brigades of Hamas fighters are hiding there and must be tackled.

Mr Abbas pleaded with the US to stop the attack. “We call on the United States of America to ask Israel to not carry on the Rafah attack. America is the only country able to prevent Israel from committing this crime,” he said.