Islamuddin Sajid
12 February 2025•Update: 12 February 2025
ISLAMABAD
Arab and Muslim nations have intensified contacts on the Gaza situation amid US President Donald Trump’s plan to “take over” the besieged enclave and forcibly remove Palestinians.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani spoke to Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim over the phone late Tuesday to discuss the latest situation in Gaza.
The two leaders discussed the latest situation in Gaza especially Israel's deliberate violation of ceasefire terms to "undermine" the deal brokered by Qatar, Egypt, and the US, Anwar said Wednesday on X.
"I reiterated Malaysia's continuous commitment to steadfastly support every initiative, including providing humanitarian aid while aiming to end the Israeli occupation and illegal settlement in Gaza," Anwar told Al Thani, also the gulf nation's foreign minister.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and his UAE counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan also held a phone call on Wednesday, sharing concerns about Trump's plan.
"The two leaders discussed the grave humanitarian situation in Gaza and expressed concerns at the proposal to displace or relocate the Palestinian people from their ancestral homeland," said the Pakistan Foreign Ministry in a statement.
Dar reiterated Pakistan’s "unflinching" support for the rights of the Palestinian people and the two sides agreed to maintain close contact to achieve a just, comprehensive, and lasting solution to the Palestinian issue, the statement added.
On Tuesday, Egypt said a preliminary agreement had been reached to hold an emergency ministerial meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to reject the relocation of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty has also held talks with his counterparts from OIC member states, including Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Iran, and Jordan, to address the Palestinian issue.
Trump has repeatedly called for taking over Gaza and resettling Palestinians in neighboring countries, including Egypt and Jordan, an idea widely rejected by Palestinian and Arab leaders.
His proposal comes amid a ceasefire and prisoner swap agreement that took hold in Gaza on Jan. 19, pausing Israel’s genocidal war, which has killed more than 48,200 people since Oct. 7, 2023, and left the enclave in ruins.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
