Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and allies blast Israeli ministers’ Gaza removal scheme

An Israeli soldier aims his rifle during a military operation in Balata refugee camp, east of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, on August 31, 2026. — AFP pic

First Published: Sunday, 06 Sep 2026 8:24 PM MYT

RIYADH, Sept 6 — Eight Islamic and Arab countries on Sunday condemned plans voiced by Israeli government ministers for the removal of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, saying the designs jeopardise a US-backed peace in the territory.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Wednesday Israel had plans to remove Palestinians from Gaza but was waiting for US approval on where to displace the territory’s population.

A day later, Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir said the plan aimed to remove 250,000 Palestinians from Gaza in the first year, followed by the rest of the roughly two million residents over the following six years.

The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Pakistan, Indonesia and Turkey said they condemned in “the strongest terms” the “plans and mechanisms they proposed aimed at forcibly expelling Palestinians from their land”.

The ministers warned of “grave consequences of transforming calls for forced displacement into declared policy or practical measures”.

“Such measures directly challenge international efforts to achieve peace, particularly President Donald Trump’s comprehensive plan to end the conflict in Gaza, which includes a firm rejection of forced displacement,” they added referring to a US-backed, October 2025 peace plan for Gaza.

On Saturday the US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, a staunch supporter of Israel and Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, denied there was an Israeli plan to force Palestinians out of Gaza. — AFP