Saudis Say No to Israeli Displacement Agency

Saudi Arabia on Monday condemned Israel’s announcement of establishing an agency aimed at displacing Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.

In a statement, the Saudi Foreign Ministry also denounced “the approval of the separation of 13 illegal settler neighborhoods in the West Bank, paving the way for their legitimization as colonial settlements.”

Saudi Arabia reiterated its “unwavering rejection of Israel’s continuous violations of international law and international humanitarian law.”

The Kingdom further stressed that “lasting and just peace cannot be achieved without the Palestinian people obtaining their legitimate rights in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.”

Israel’s Security Cabinet has approved the formation of a directorate to encourage what it called the “voluntary departure” of Palestinians from the war-ravaged Gaza Strip.

Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement late Saturday that the new directorate will work to “prepare for and enable safe and controlled passage of Gaza residents for their voluntary departure to third countries.”

Katz’s office said the new administration will be responsible for establishing movement routes, checking pedestrians at designated crossings in Gaza, and coordinating the provision of infrastructure that will enable passage by land, sea, and air to the destination countries.

Trump has repeatedly called to “take over” Gaza and resettle its population to develop it into a tourist destination. His plan was rejected by the Arab world and many other nations, who say it amounts to ethnic cleansing according to Anadolu.

The Israeli army launched a surprise aerial campaign on the Gaza Strip on March 18, killing at least 730 people and injuring nearly 1,200 others despite a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement that took hold in January.

Over 50,000 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and more than 113,000 injured in a brutal Israeli military onslaught on Gaza since October 2023.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.​​​​​​​

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.

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Cairo Unveils Plan to Rebuild Gaza Without Displacement

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi announced a comprehensive plan on Tuesday to rebuild the Gaza Strip without displacing its inhabitants, urging regional and international backing.

Addressing an emergency Arab summit in the New Administrative Capital east of Cairo, Sisi said that Egypt had worked with Palestine and international institutions to develop the plan and called on Arab leaders to endorse it. He also proposed a dedicated fund for its implementation.

The Egyptian leader emphasized that the initiative aims to “preserve the Palestinian people’s right to rebuild their homeland and remain on their land.”

Egypt “will not partake in any injustice against the Palestinian people,” Sisi stressed.

Additionally, he announced an international conference for the Gaza reconstruction set for April and revealed that Egypt and Palestine had formed an independent administration committee to temporarily manage the enclave, monitor the flow of humanitarian aid, and pave the way for the Palestinian Authority’s return to the territory.

Sisi condemned Israel’s war on Gaza, stating that it sought to “empty the strip of its people,” and described the onslaught as a “stain on humanity.”

“We hope that US President (Donald Trump)’s efforts to maintain the ceasefire in Gaza will continue,” he said.

Reaffirming Egypt’s stance on the need for a permanent solution, Sisi asserted that true peace in the region requires a just settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“Jerusalem is not just a city, but a symbol of our identity,” he stressed.

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Israel to Build 1000 Settlement Units Near Bethlehem

The Israeli government issued a tender to build nearly 1,000 settlement units in the occupied West Bank, an anti-settlement group said on Monday.

The Peace Now group, an Israeli watchdog that monitors settlement building in the West Bank, said 974 additional settler homes will be built in Efrat settlement south of Bethlehem city.

It warned that the construction of an entire neighborhood in the Efrat settlement “blocks the development of the Bethlehem metropolis to the south, and if Israel seeks to annex it to Israel, it will cut off the entire southern West Bank,” according to Anadolu.

The Israeli organization accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of harming Israel’s interests and undermining the two-state solution through imposing realities on the ground.

“While the people of Israel sets their sights on the release of the hostages and an end to the war, the Netanyahu government is operating ‘on steroids’ to establish facts on the ground that will destroy the chance for peace and compromise,” it said.

Nineteen Israeli captives and five Thai workers have been released in exchange for 1,135 Palestinian prisoners under a Gaza ceasefire agreement that took effect on Jan. 19.

The international community, including the UN, considers the Israeli settlements illegal under international law. The UN has repeatedly warned that continued settlement expansion threatens the viability of a two-state solution, a framework seen as key to resolving the decades-long Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

In July 2024, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian land illegal and demanded the evacuation of all existing settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

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Saudi Arabia Reaffirms Palestinian Statehood

Saudi Arabia has reaffirmed its stance on Palestinian statehood, stating that normalization with Israel will not happen without an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. The Saudi Foreign Ministry issued the statement at 4:00 a.m. on Tuesday, directly contradicting remarks made earlier by US President Donald Trump.

The statement emphasized that Saudi Arabia’s position on the Palestinian issue is “firm and unshakable.” It cited Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s speech on September 18, 2024, during the opening of the Shura Council’s ninth session. In that speech, the crown prince made it clear that the kingdom remains committed to the establishment of a Palestinian state and will not establish diplomatic ties with Israel without it.

The ministry also referred to the extraordinary Arab-Islamic summit in Riyadh on November 11, 2024. During the summit, the crown prince reiterated Saudi Arabia’s commitment to a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders. He also urged more countries to recognize Palestine and called on the international community to support Palestinian rights.

The Saudi statement came just hours after Trump claimed that Saudi Arabia no longer insists on Palestinian statehood as a condition for normalization with Israel. His remarks sparked speculation about a potential shift in Saudi policy, but the Foreign Ministry’s statement dismissed any such notion.

The ministry stressed that Saudi Arabia rejects any infringement on Palestinian rights. It condemned Israeli settlement expansion, land annexation, and forced displacement of Palestinians. It also called on the international community to ease the severe humanitarian suffering in Palestine.

Saudi Arabia reaffirmed that its stance is non-negotiable. “Permanent and just peace cannot be achieved without the Palestinian people obtaining their legitimate rights in accordance with international resolutions,” the statement read. The ministry also noted that this position has been clearly communicated to both the previous Biden administration and the current administration according to the Quds News Network.

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‘Not Displacement But a Two-State Solution’

By Khaled Shaqran

Jordan’s posture on the Palestinian question has always been firm and clear: Jordan is not, and will never be, an alternative homeland for Palestinians.

This position is not merely a political statement but a historical commitment rooted in the principle of justice and the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people. Jordan rejects any attempt to liquidate the Palestinian cause or deny the rights of Palestinians under whatsoever pretext.

In reality, Jordan, which has historically served as a safe haven for those fleeing wars and persecution, is already under immense pressure on its resources and infrastructure due to the accumulated influx of refugees from successive waves of migration. It cannot bear the burden of accommodating more refugees or the multifaceted challenges their presence would bring.

The Palestinian people cannot abandon their homeland, no matter the pressures or threats they face. For Palestinians, their land is not merely territory but identity, history, and shared destiny. They will continue to hold onto it until their legitimate rights are realized. Palestinians will not relinquish an inch of their land, neither through enticement nor intimidation, and will persist in their struggle to achieve their dream of freedom and justice.

No short-term solutions would resolve the issue and end the long-running conflict, as some believe.

While the United States, as a global power, can propose initiatives and exert political pressure, it can never erase an entire people and their just cause. Despite the systematic killing, repression, destruction, and unprecedented exclusionary practices supported by some influential international powers, the Palestinian people have never stopped and will never stop fighting for their legitimate rights, paramount of which is the end of the occupation and the establishment of an independent state of their own.

It is also crucial for the international community to understand that the Palestinian issue is not merely a regional conflict that can be resolved through short-lived settlements. It is a human rights issue tied to the lives of an entire people and their ongoing struggle for freedom and independence. Therefore, any solution that does not rest on the foundation of comprehensive justice will fail and will not bring lasting peace. The only solution to this conflict is a just and comprehensive peace that guarantees the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

The two-state solution is the only viable formula that enjoys international consensus and reflects the will of the region’s peoples for coexistence in peace and security. Palestine, as both land and cause, is not negotiable or to be ever terminated, and Palestinian rights are historical and legitimate, beyond the power of any force to erase or deny.

It is historically inevitable all occupations eventually end, and it is time for the international community to recognize that this conflict cannot be resolved through displacement, killing, or destruction, but by achieving justice for the Palestinian people. Any solution that does not rely on the two-state framework will remain unattainable. The Palestinian cause will persist as a struggle for rights and freedom, and the region will not enjoy security, stability, or peace until the Palestinian people obtain their legitimate rights and establish their independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Khaled Shaqran is a columnist in the Jordan Times

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