Muslim and Arab countries condemn Israeli resettlement plans for Gaza

The foreign ministers of eight Muslim and Arab countries have jointly condemned the Israeli government's plans to relocate Palestinians from the Gaza Strip. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Pakistan, Indonesia and Turkey said they condemned "in the strongest possible terms" Israel's "proposed plans and mechanisms" to "forcefully expel Palestinians from their land."

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday that Israel has plans to relocate Palestinians from the Gaza Strip. However, the USA still has to clarify where the residents could be resettled.

A day later, the far-right Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir said the plan would involve relocating 250,000 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip in the first year, with the remaining two million residents following in the next six years.

Federal Development Minister Reem Alabali-Radovan (SPD) also criticized the plan as “unacceptable and inhumane.” "Anyone who talks about relocating people against their will is actually talking about expulsion," she explained on Friday. The plan “contradicts international law.”

Trump's peace plan in danger

The foreign ministers of the Muslim states warned of “serious consequences” if “calls for forced expulsions are translated into stated policy or practical measures.” Such moves "directly challenge" international peace efforts, particularly US President Donald Trump's plan to end the conflict in the Gaza Strip, "which includes a strict rejection of forced displacement," they added, referring to Trump's Gaza peace plan.

This stipulates that the radical Islamic Palestinian organization Hamas will gradually give up its weapons while the Israeli armed forces withdraw from the Palestinian territory. An international stabilization force and a new Palestinian police force are to take over responsibility in the coastal strip.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejects the plan. Before Israel withdraws from the Gaza Strip, he not only calls for the Islamists to be disarmed, but also for the destruction of all weapons in the Gaza Strip.

Hamas and its allies attacked Israel on October 7, 2023. More than 1,200 people were killed in the major attack and 251 people were kidnapped as hostages in the Gaza Strip. Israel responded with massive attacks on the Gaza Strip in which, according to unverifiable Hamas figures, more than 70,000 people have since been killed. Despite a ceasefire agreed in October, the Israeli army attacked targets in the Gaza Strip almost daily.