Eight Arab and Islamic countries condemn plans to displace Palestinians from Gaza and warn of their consequences

The foreign ministers of the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, and Egypt strongly condemned the statements issued by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz regarding the displacement of the Palestinian people from the Gaza Strip, which included proposals for plans and mechanisms aimed at forcibly removing Palestinians from their land. In a joint statement yesterday, the ministers said, “These inflammatory statements and proposals constitute a blatant violation of the principles of international law, including international humanitarian law, and a direct threat to the legitimate and inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.” The ministers affirmed “their firm rejection and condemnation of any attempts or plots aimed at displacing the Palestinian people, whether within the occupied Palestinian territory or outside it, under any name or pretext.” They warned of “the serious consequences of turning calls for forced displacement into a declared policy or practical measures aimed at uprooting Palestinians from their land,” considering such measures “a direct challenge to international efforts aimed at achieving peace, foremost among them the comprehensive plan by US President Donald Trump to end the conflict in Gaza, which includes a firm rejection of forced displacement.” The ministers added that such measures “entail serious risks that could undermine opportunities for stability in the region.” They stressed that “the Gaza Strip is an inseparable part of the occupied Palestinian territory, and that it is necessary to preserve the unity of the Palestinian land in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.” They affirmed that “the only way to achieve a just and lasting peace is to implement the two-state solution, establish an independent Palestinian state on the lines of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with relevant resolutions of international legitimacy.” The ministers called on “the international community, particularly the UN Security Council, to fulfill its responsibilities and firmly counter any attempts to impose a new demographic or geographic reality in the occupied Palestinian territory, and to ensure respect for the rules of international law.” They also renewed “their full support for the resilience of the Palestinian people on their land, and their rejection of all attempts aimed at erasing the Palestinian cause or undermining the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.”