8 Muslim-majority countries condemn ‘provocative’ proposals by Katz, Ben Gvir promoting Gaza emigration

The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Qatar, Egypt, Indonesia and Pakistan issue a joint condemnation of remarks by Defense Minister Israel Katz and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir calling for plans to facilitate the emigration of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.

The ministers “strongly condemn” remarks by Ben Gvir and Katz “regarding the displacement of the Palestinian people from the Gaza Strip, and what they contained in terms of proposing plans and mechanisms aimed at forcibly expelling Palestinians from their land,” according to an Arabic-language statement.

“These statements and provocative proposals represent a flagrant violation of the principles of international law, including international humanitarian law, and a direct threat to the legitimate and inalienable rights of the Palestinian people,” the statement adds.

Ben Gvir on Thursday unveiled a plan aimed at removing the vast majority of Gaza’s Palestinian population from the territory through what he termed “voluntary emigration,” including by establishing a dedicated government ministry, saying he hoped to advance the plan if the coalition remains in power after elections in late October.

Ben Gvir’s proposal came a day after Katz said plans to facilitate mass emigration from Gaza remain under discussion and were merely “frozen” by US President Donald Trump, who had initially proposed relocating Gaza’s roughly 2.3 million residents in February 2025. Katz said Israel was prepared to facilitate departures by land, sea and air, but acknowledged that no countries were currently willing to absorb Gazans on the scale envisioned.

Such plans, which come as political parties ramp up their campaigning ahead of elections, would face massive international pushback if implemented.