Arab Nations Condemn Israeli Ministers' Gaza Displacement Remarks

Eight Arab and Islamic nations have strongly condemned statements made by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Defense Minister Yisrael Katz regarding the potential displacement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip. The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the UAE, Qatar, Egypt, Turkey, Indonesia, and Pakistan issued a joint statement Sunday, calling such proposals a "blatant violation of international law" and a "direct threat" to the rights of the Palestinian people. They affirmed their rejection of any attempts to forcibly displace Palestinians and warned that such actions would undermine peace efforts and increase regional instability.

The ministers emphasized that Gaza is an integral part of the occupied Palestinian territories and stressed the importance of maintaining the unity of Palestinian lands. They reiterated that a just and lasting peace requires a two-state solution, with an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders and East Jerusalem as its capital. The statement urged the international community, particularly the UN Security Council, to confront any attempts to impose new demographic or geographic realities in the occupied territories and to ensure adherence to international law.

In separate security developments, the Israeli military announced Sunday that its forces, in cooperation with the Yamam unit and under the supervision of the Shin Bet security agency, conducted an counter-terrorism operation in the town of Aqaba in the northern West Bank. The operation resulted in the arrest of 10 Hamas operatives allegedly involved in planning terrorist activities. During the search, forces discovered and destroyed an unmounted rocket, along with explosive materials for improvised devices and parts of an M16 rifle.

Earlier Sunday, Hezbollah launched two explosive drones toward Israeli forces in southern Lebanon. Israeli soldiers intercepted one of the drones, and no casualties were reported among Israeli forces. In response, the Israeli Air Force targeted Hezbollah elements and infrastructure in southern Lebanon, including weapons depots and facilities used for planning and directing attacks. Lebanese reports indicated that Israeli artillery shelling targeted a house in southern Lebanon, resulting in five injuries.

Additionally, the Israeli military conducted a surprise drill early Sunday, codenamed "Dawn 2.0," to test the readiness of its command and control for a complex, multi-front scenario. The exercise involved commanders from all branches and tested forces and reserves.