Hamas urges Arab, Muslim nations to oppose Israeli Gaza removal proposal

GAZA CITY, Sep 4: Hamas called on Arab and Muslim countries on Friday to oppose a proposal from two Israeli ministers to remove Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and send them abroad.

"Escalating statements by ministers in the Israeli government regarding the continued adoption of plans to displace the Palestinian people from the Gaza Strip represent an extremely dangerous development," Hamas spokesman HazemQassem said in a statement.

He called on "Arab and Islamic countries to take serious and unified action to confront these plans and adopt effective positions and measures to thwart them".

Israeli far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir laid out a plan on Thursday that aims to see the departure of 250,000 Palestinians from Gaza in the first year, followed by the rest of the roughly two million residents over the following six years.

His remarks came a day after Defence Minister Israel Katz said Israel was ready to remove Palestinians from Gaza by sea and land but was waiting for the United States, which he said was discussing places for the population to go.

Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich earlier proposed also removing Palestinians from the West Bank, where Israeli settlers have been carrying out a growing number of attacks.

Forced displacement of civilians in occupied territory is considered a war crime under the Geneva Conventions.

Almost the entire population of Gaza has already been displaced internally in relentless Israeli bombing since the October 7, 2023 attacks led by Hamas, which were the deadliest ever against Israel and killed mostly civilians.

The Israeli remarks come ahead of October 27 elections in which polls show a tight race for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has brought once shunned far-right ministers into his cabinet.

US President Donald Trump stunned the world early in his second term by proposing removing Palestinians from Gaza and turning the rubble-strewn Mediterranean territory into a luxury resort.

He backtracked after pushback from countries including Egypt, the only country other than Israel to border Gaza.

Two Israeli ministers floated proposals this week for the mass removal of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, resurfacing an idea voiced repeatedly by right-wing politicians over the past three years as they seek to rally supporters ahead of an election.

The calls by two of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political allies have revived Palestinian fears that Israel ultimately aims to forcibly expel them from Gaza despite US-led diplomatic efforts to end the conflict there.

Far-right security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir laid out a seven-year plan for removing Gaza's population through "voluntary emigration" during a press conference on Thursday night. He said he would seek the creation of a "ministry in charge of emigration" in the next government.

"Instead of illusions of peace now, we need actions of emigration now," he said. "Instead of (them) digging tunnels, it’s time to pack suitcases," referring to tunnels dug under Gaza by Hamas before the war.�"AFP