The statement by the foreign ministers of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, and Indonesia said forcibly displacing Palestinians from Gaza would “seriously violate the principles of international law, including international humanitarian law, and directly threaten the legitimate and inalienable rights of the Palestinian people”. They warned that such action would have serious consequences, undermining efforts to achieve peace and stability in the Middle East.
The statement stressed that the Gaza Strip is an integral part of Palestinian territory and underlined the need to preserve the territorial unity of the Palestinian territories, including Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. The foreign ministers reaffirmed that a two-state solution is the only path to achieving a just and lasting peace.
Earlier, the European Union and Hamas condemned proposals by certain Israeli ministers to remove Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and deport them abroad. Under international law, the forced displacement of civilians is illegal and could constitute a war crime.
