The foreign ministers of Turkey, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates condemned, in a joint statement, remarks by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz concerning the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza.
The ministers said proposals for plans and mechanisms aimed at forcibly removing Palestinians from their lands were a clear violation of international law and the principles of international humanitarian law. Such remarks were described as posing a direct threat to the legitimate and inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.
Opposition to forced displacement plans
The joint statement stressed that all initiatives aimed at displacing the Palestinian people, regardless of the justification, whether within or outside the occupied Palestinian territories, were rejected.
The ministers warned that turning calls for forced displacement into official policy or concrete measures aimed at removing Palestinians from their lands would have serious consequences. Such an approach would harm international peace efforts concerning Gaza that reject forced resettlement and weaken hopes for stability in the region, the statement said.
Emphasis on the unity of Gaza and the West Bank
The statement noted that the Gaza Strip is an integral part of the occupied Palestinian territories. It said that the unity of Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, must be preserved.
The ministers said that the only path to achieving a just and lasting peace was the implementation of a two-state solution. They also reaffirmed their commitment to establishing an independent Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital, on the basis of the June 4, 1967 borders.
Turkey and the other seven countries called on the international community, particularly the United Nations Security Council, to oppose attempts to impose a new demographic or geographic reality in the occupied Palestinian territories and to ensure compliance with international law. The ministers reiterated their support for the Palestinian people’s struggle to preserve their presence on their own land and their opposition to all initiatives aimed at weakening the Palestinian cause or diminishing the legitimate rights of Palestinians.
