Eight Muslim countries reject Israeli calls for displacement of Palestinians from Gaza
By The South Asia Times
ISTANBUL - The foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and the United Arab Emirates have jointly condemned Israeli calls for the displacement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, warning that any attempt to forcibly remove Palestinians from their land would violate international law.
In a joint statement issued Sunday, the eight countries specifically condemned remarks by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Defense Minister Israel Katz concerning the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, including proposals for mechanisms to remove them from the territory.
The ministers said such proposals violate principles of international law, including international humanitarian law, and threaten what they described as the “legitimate and inalienable rights” of the Palestinian people.
They rejected any plans to displace Palestinians, either within or outside the occupied Palestinian territory, regardless of the justification offered. The ministers warned that turning calls for forced displacement into official policy or concrete measures could have serious consequences for regional stability and international peace efforts.
The statement also said such moves would undermine efforts to end the Gaza conflict, including US President Donald Trump’s comprehensive plan, which the ministers said explicitly rejects forced displacement.
The eight countries stressed that Gaza is an integral part of the occupied Palestinian territory and called for the territorial unity of Gaza with the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
They reiterated their support for a two-state solution, calling for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on the pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with relevant United Nations resolutions.
The ministers also urged the international community, particularly the UN Security Council, to oppose attempts to create a new demographic or geographic reality in the occupied Palestinian territories and to uphold international law.
They reaffirmed their support for Palestinians remaining on their land and rejected what they described as efforts to erase the Palestinian cause or undermine the Palestinian people’s rights.
