Pakistan, seven Muslim states reject Israeli ministers’ calls to relocate Gazans

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and seven other Arab and Muslim countries on Sunday strongly condemned recent statements by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Defence Minister Israel Katz calling for the relocation of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, warning that any attempt to turn such proposals into policy could have grave consequences for regional peace and stability.

The foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and the United Arab Emirates said proposals and mechanisms aimed at removing Palestinians from their land violated international law, including international humanitarian law, and posed a direct threat to the “legitimate and inalienable rights” of the Palestinian people.

In a joint statement issued on Sunday, the ministers rejected any attempt or plan to displace Palestinians, whether within or outside the Occupied Palestinian Territory, regardless of the justification offered.

They warned that turning calls for forced displacement into declared government policy or concrete measures to uproot Palestinians from their land would have “grave consequences” and undermine international efforts to achieve peace.

The statement came days after Ben-Gvir unveiled a seven-year plan that he described as “voluntary emigration” of Palestinians from Gaza, while Katz said Israel was prepared to move Palestinians out of the territory by land, sea or air.

Ben-Gvir’s plan envisages removing 250,000 Palestinians from Gaza in the first year and the remainder of the territory’s population over the following six years, according to reports.

His party has proposed creating a government ministry dedicated to emigration and identified Turkey, Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo among potential destinations.

Katz, meanwhile, said earlier this week that there was “no real solution for Gaza” without what he called migration, adding that Israel was prepared to facilitate the departure of Palestinians by various means.

Reuters reported that the comments revived Palestinian fears that Israel ultimately intends to forcibly expel them from Gaza.

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Joint Statement by the Foreign Ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Qatar. Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and the United Arab Emirates

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— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) September 6, 2026

The eight foreign ministers said the proposals were also inconsistent with international efforts to end the Gaza conflict, including US President Donald Trump’s Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, which they said explicitly rejects forced displacement. They warned that such moves could undermine prospects for regional stability.

Gaza part of Palestinian territory

The ministers stressed that the Gaza Strip was an integral part of the Occupied Palestinian Territory and called for preserving the territorial unity of Gaza with the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

They reiterated their support for a two-state solution, saying lasting and just peace could only be achieved through the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the lines of the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with relevant international resolutions.

The eight countries also called on the international community, particularly the United Nations Security Council, to fulfil its responsibilities and oppose any attempt to impose a new demographic or geographic reality in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

They reaffirmed their support for Palestinians remaining on their land and rejected what they described as attempts to erase the Palestinian cause or undermine the Palestinian people’s legitimate rights.

Renewed international concern

The latest statement is part of a series of joint interventions by the same eight countries on the Gaza conflict and the wider Israeli-Palestinian dispute.

The group has previously rejected Israeli settlement policies and, in August, condemned the “E1” settlement plan and related settlement activity east of occupied East Jerusalem, saying such actions threatened the prospects of a two-state solution.

The eight countries have also repeatedly opposed attempts to remove Palestinians from Gaza. In an earlier joint statement, they rejected proposals to transfer Gaza residents into Egypt and stressed the need to ensure that Palestinians were able to remain on their land.

The latest warnings come as Israel approaches a general election on Oct. 27, with Ben-Gvir and Katz among Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political allies pushing proposals for the mass removal of Palestinians from Gaza. Netanyahu has backed what his government calls “voluntary emigration” but has distanced himself from calls by far-right ministers to re-establish Jewish settlements in Gaza.

The 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel killed about 1,200 people and resulted in 251 hostages being taken, according to Israeli tallies. Israel’s subsequent military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities, while much of the territory has been devastated. Israel rejects allegations of genocide and says its military campaign targets Hamas rather than Gaza’s civilian population.

The dispute over the future of Gaza remains central to wider efforts to establish a lasting political settlement, with Arab and Muslim states insisting that the territory remain part of a future Palestinian state rather than become the subject of permanent displacement or territorial change.