Saudi Arabia and Qatar condemn Israeli ministers statements on displacement of Gaza residents

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Saudi Arabia and Qatar strongly condemned the statements made by the Israeli National Security and Finance Ministers regarding the displacement of Gaza residents, reoccupation of the territory, and the construction of settlements.

The Israeli National Security Minister, right-wing extremist Itamar Ben Gvir, called on Monday for Jewish settlers to return to Gaza after the war and to "encourage" Palestinian residents to emigrate. This followed a similar call from Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

In a statement on Thursday, the Saudi Foreign Affairs Ministry expressed the Kingdom's "strong condemnation and unequivocal rejection of the extremist statements made by two ministers in the Israeli occupation government, who called for the displacement of Gaza residents, the reoccupation of the territory, and the construction of settlements."

The statement emphasized the "importance of the international community joining forces to activate international accountability mechanisms against the Israeli occupation government, through its statements and actions, for violating international legitimacy and humanitarian law."

In Doha, Qatar, a prominent mediator in the prisoner exchange process between Hamas and Israel condemned the Israeli ministers' statements in the strongest terms.

Qatar considered these statements as "an extension of the occupation's approach in violating the rights of the Palestinian people, disregarding international laws and agreements, and poisoning its toxic efforts to block the path to peace, especially the two-state solution."

The Qatari Foreign Ministry affirmed that "the policy of collective punishment and forced displacement practiced by the occupation authorities with the residents of Gaza will not change the fact that Gaza is Palestinian, and it will remain Palestinian."

The statements by the Israeli ministers also drew strong condemnation from the European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, who said on Wednesday, "I strongly condemn the provocative and irresponsible statements by the Israeli ministers that harm the Palestinians in Gaza and call for their emigration."

AFP