Egypt's Foreign Ministry said today that the Israeli government's support for US President Donald Trump's plan to displace Palestinians from the Gaza Strip "weakens and destroys the ceasefire agreement negotiations and encourages the continuation of fighting."
The statement from Egypt, the mediator in the ceasefire negotiations, refers to "today's statements by members of the Israeli government," but does not mention their names.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz today asked the military to develop a plan for Palestinians to leave Gaza, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a day earlier called Trump's proposal "extraordinary."
However, for Egypt, the plan "represents a flagrant violation of international law and undermines the most basic rights of the Palestinian people."
Trump caused an international uproar after he said on Tuesday, in the presence of Netanyahu in Washington, that he planned a long-term American takeover of the Gaza Strip.
The UN and legal experts have said Trump's plan violates international law.
"Any forcible transfer or expulsion of persons from occupied territory is strictly prohibited," said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, recalling that "the right to self-determination is a fundamental principle of international law and this right must be protected by all states."
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Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares rejected on Monday a suggestion by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz that Spain should accept displaced Palestinians from Gaza, Reuters reported.
"The land of the Gazans is Gaza and Gaza must be part of a future Palestinian state," Albares said in an interview with Spanish radio station RNE.
Katz today ordered the army to prepare a plan that would allow for the "voluntary departure" of residents from the Gaza Strip, Israeli media reported.
The instruction followed US President Donald Trump's shocking announcement that the United States (US) planned to take over Gaza, relocate the Palestinians living there and transform the territory into a "Middle Eastern Riviera".
Katz added that Spain, Ireland and Norway, which recognized a Palestinian state last year, are "legally obligated to allow every Gazan to enter their territory."
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered the army today to prepare a plan for the departure of Gaza residents who wish to do so, following statements by US President Donald Trump about the potential displacement of Palestinians from the territory.
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"I have ordered the Israeli army to prepare a plan that will allow any Gazan who wishes to go to any place in the world that agrees to welcome them," Katz said in a statement.
He added that the plan would include "options for exit at land crossings, as well as special arrangements for exit by sea and air."
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last night that Trump only meant the temporary departure of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip until the devastated territory is rebuilt.
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Trump sparked strong reactions around the world when he suggested during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the US could take over the war-torn Gaza Strip.
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Iran has described US President Donald Trump's proposal to forcibly relocate residents of the Gaza Strip as "scandalous".
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