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

The forced displacement of civilians in occupied territory is considered a war crime under the Geneva Conventions.(AFP) — Hamas called on Arab and Muslim countries 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 Hazem Qassem 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.”Israel’s far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, laid out a plan Thursday aimed at the departure of 250,000 Palestinians from Gaza in the first year, followed by the rest of the territory’s roughly 2 million residents over the following six years.His remarks came a day after Defense 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.The 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 internally displaced amid relentless Israeli bombardment since the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, which were the deadliest in Israel’s history and killed mostly civilians.The Israeli remarks come ahead of Oct. 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.U.S. President Donald Trump stunned the world early in his second term by proposing the removal of Palestinians from Gaza and turning the rubble-strewn Mediterranean territory into a luxury resort.He later backed away from the proposal after pushback from countries including Egypt, the only country other than Israel that borders Gaza.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads