Gaza group urges ceasefire, denounces plans for Palestinians’ migration

Serkan Demirtaş - ANTALYA

Top diplomats from the Gaza contact group have urged Israel to implement the ceasefire agreement with Hamas and denounced the plans of the mass migration of Palestinians from the enclave at a meeting in Antalya.

Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan hosted the foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Indonesia, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan and Qatar as well as the secretary-generals of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League at the 20th meeting of the Gaza contact group on April 11.

“Permanent ceasefire should be implemented without delay. We are supporting the ceasefire process led by Qatar, Egypt and the United States,” Fidan told a press conference after the meeting.

The continued attacks of Israel are deteriorating the stability and security of the region, Fidan said, calling on the international community to press the country to stop its aggression and return to a ceasefire.

The Turkish top diplomat underlined that the group strictly rejects any plan that suggests the mass migration of Palestinians from Gaza.

“We are lending support to a plan adopted by the Arab League for the reconstruction of Gaza. We support the foundation of a sovereign and independent Palestine State on the basis of 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital," he said.

Palestinians have never left their home despite the 80-year-long Israeli aggression and never gave up struggling for their cause, Fidan said.

“Two-state solution will bring security to Israel as well. We are calling Israel to immediately declare ceasefire and reconcile with Palestinians," he added.

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan also underlined the need for declaring a permanent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which would lead to a process to find a political solution to the problem.

Criticizing Israel for linking the delivery of humanitarian aid to ceasefire talks as a violation of international law and human values, bin Faisal called on the international community to press Israel to ensure the steady flow of aid into Gaza.

“I demand the exercise of maximum pressure to ensure the continuous and sufficient flow of aid into the Strip,” he stated.

The Saudi minister also raised the plans of evacuation of Palestinians from Gaza, reiterating that they will never accept such plans.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Mohammed Mustafa, for his part, thanked Türkiye and other countries for their support to Palestine and recalled that there will be an important meeting in New York in June.

The Israeli aggression continues in the West Bank and Jerusalem, along with its operations in Gaza, Mustafa said, stressing that a ceasefire must be provided as soon as possible.

“We thank the countries, especially from Europe, who have recognized the State of Palestine. We want to call on the countries which have not recognized Palestine yet to do so,” he underlined.

Meanwhile, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty recalled that Israel and Hamas made an agreement on Jan. 19 and the former should implement it.

Abdelatty informed that there will be a conference for the implementation of the Arab League’s reconstruction of Gaza very soon and called on the international community to pay utmost importance to this plan.

“We reject the migration of Palestinians,” he said.