Joint Statement Condemns Rhetoric
A coalition of Arab and Islamic states has issued a stern condemnation regarding recent statements made by senior Israeli government officials concerning the potential displacement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip. The countries involved expressed their strongest rejection of remarks attributed to Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s Minister of National Security, and Itzick Goldknopf, the Minister of Defense, which suggested moving Palestinian residents out of the territory.
The foreign ministers of Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Indonesia, and Pakistan released a unified declaration addressing these developments. They emphasized that any attempt to impose forced displacement on the Palestinian people or uproot them from their land constitutes a blatant violation of international law and international humanitarian law. Furthermore, they described such actions as an assault on the inalienable rights of the Palestinian population.
Warning Against Policy Implementation
The ministers cautioned against the dangerous trajectory of transforming inflammatory Israeli rhetoric into official state policy or concrete field measures. They reiterated their absolute refusal of any plans aimed at displacing Palestinians, whether within occupied Palestinian territories or outside them, regardless of the label or pretext used. The statement highlighted that such proposals undermine international efforts to end the war and achieve peace and stability in the region.
The declaration specifically referenced the plan proposed by US President Donald Trump to resolve the conflict in Gaza, noting that it includes a rejection of the forced displacement of Palestinians. The signatory nations affirmed that the Gaza Strip is an inseparable part of the occupied Palestinian land. They stressed the necessity of preserving the unity of Palestinian territories, including Gaza and the West Bank, with East Jerusalem, and rejected any attempts to alter the geographical or demographic reality of these lands.
Call for International Action
The foreign ministers called upon the international community, particularly the UN Security Council, to take decisive action to prevent any Israeli measures that would establish new facts on the ground in the occupied Palestinian territories or affect the demographic composition of the Palestinian people. The eight nations renewed their support for the resilience of the Palestinian people and their attachment to their land and legitimate rights.
The statement concluded by asserting that forced displacement cannot serve as a solution to the conflict nor form a basis for achieving lasting peace and stability in the region. The countries maintained that any attempts to liquidate the Palestinian cause or undermine the right of Palestinians to their land are firmly opposed.
