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The joint statement distributed via the Emirates News Agency on Sunday strongly condemned statements by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Defence Minister Israel Katz. It said the remarks regarding displacement of Palestinians from Gaza and proposals for related mechanisms flagrantly violate international law. The ministers warned against the grave consequences of turning such calls into official policy or concrete measures. United Nations records have documented Ben-Gvir repeatedly advocating emigration encouragement paired with settlement in Gaza since 2024.
Ben-Gvir unveiled a seven-year plan that would create a dedicated ministry to promote what he described as voluntary emigration according to the statement. Katz declared there was no real solution for Gaza without migration and that Israel could facilitate it through all available means. The eight nations said these inflammatory proposals threaten the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.
The foreign ministers reaffirmed their categorical rejection of any displacement plans under any pretext whether inside the occupied territories or beyond them. They stressed that Gaza forms an integral part of the occupied Palestinian territory. The statement called for preserving territorial unity across Gaza the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Such steps would challenge international peace efforts the ministers added.
The communique noted that the ideas contradict frameworks such as U.S. President Donald Trump’s comprehensive plan to end the Gaza conflict which rejects forced displacement. The ministers cautioned that pursuing them could undermine regional stability. Their position draws on established principles of international humanitarian law.
The ministers concluded that the two-state solution along 1967 lines with East Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital offers the only path to just and lasting peace. This stance aligns with relevant United Nations resolutions on the issue. The joint statement was issued by the top diplomats of Saudi Arabia the UAE Qatar Jordan Egypt Türkiye Indonesia and Pakistan.
