Eight Arab and Islamic countries condemn Ben Gvir and Katz's statements on the displacement of Palestinians
Eight Arab and Islamic countries strongly condemned the statements issued by Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Defense Minister Israel Katz regarding the displacement of the Palestinian people from the Gaza Strip, which included proposals and mechanisms aimed at forcibly removing Palestinians from their land. This came in a joint statement issued by the foreign ministers of Egypt, Qatar, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia, and disseminated by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday.
The statement emphasized that these statements and inflammatory proposals constitute a blatant violation of the principles of international law, including international humanitarian law, and pose 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 transforming calls for forced displacement into an official policy or practical measures aimed uprooting Palestinians from their land.
They further stressed that such actions pose a direct challenge to international efforts aimed at achieving peace, foremost among which is the comprehensive plan by U.S. President Donald Trump to end the conflict in Gaza, which includes a firm rejection of forced displacement. They noted that such measures also carry serious risks that could undermine stability prospects in the region.
The ministers stressed that the Gaza Strip is an inseparable part of the occupied Palestinian territory and emphasized the necessity of preserving the unity of the Palestinian land in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. In this context, they affirmed that the only path to achieving a just and lasting peace lies in implementing the two-state solution and establishing an independent Palestinian state on the June 4, 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with relevant resolutions of international legitimacy.
The ministers called on the international community, particularly the United Nations Security Council, to uphold 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 reaffirmed 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.
