Yusuf Alioglu, Mohammad Sio
13 February 2025•Update: 14 February 2025
ISTANBUL
Palestinian resistance group Hamas called Thursday on the upcoming Arab summit and a pan-Islamic ministerial meeting to reject US President Donald Trump’s plan to displace Palestinians from Gaza.
“We appreciate the positions of Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and all nations opposing Trump’s forced displacement proposal,” Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem said in a statement.
He urged the upcoming Arab summit on Feb. 27 and a ministerial meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) “to take a firm stand against Trump’s plan and develop a joint Arab-Islamic strategy to block its implementation.”
“Trump’s remarks on displacement reflect his alignment with the far-right in the Israeli government,” Qassem added.
Trump has repeatedly called to seize control of Gaza and resettle Palestinians to neighboring countries after Israel’s genocidal war to build what he calls “the Riviera of the Middle East.”
His proposal was met with widespread condemnations from Palestinians, Arab countries, and many other nations across the world, including Canada, France, Germany, and the UK.
On Tuesday, Egypt announced that it would propose a plan to rebuild Gaza without displacing the territory’s population.
Qassem warned of obstacles threatening a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal in Gaza over Israeli government’s refusal to fully implement the deal.
“Hamas remains committed to fulfilling its obligations under the agreement as planned,” he said, stressing that Israel must also uphold its commitments under the deal.
Hamas said early Thursday that it will resume the next hostage release as scheduled on Saturday if Israel adheres to the terms of the ceasefire agreement.
The ceasefire agreement has been in place in Gaza since Jan. 19, suspending Israel’s genocidal war that has killed more than 48,200 people, mostly women and children, and left the enclave in ruins.
Israel has turned Gaza into the world’s largest open-air prison, maintaining an 18-year blockade and forcing nearly 2 million of its 2.3 million residents into displacement amid dire shortages of food, water, and medicine due to deliberate restrictions.
