Group of UN envoys refute US plans to displace Gazans

“The displacement of Palestinians in Gaza must be unequivocally rejected. The Arab Group categorically rejects such displacement, which constitutes a clear violation of Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949,” Kuwait’s UN envoy Tareq Al Banai said as the chairperson of the Arab Group at a news conference in UN headquarters in New York.

The statements were also backed by ambassadors from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).

The Kuwaiti envoy hailed the international community’s stance against forced displacement and urged a “united and unequivocal rejection by member states.”

Al Banai outlined a vision for Gaza’s future, saying: “We, the Arab countries, want to see a Riviera, a Palestinian Gazan Riviera in the independent and internationally recognized state of Palestine.”

He condemned Israel’s expanded military actions in the occupied West Bank, calling them a “clear violation of international law” that must stop immediately.

Al Banai highlighted the recent UN Security Council resolution 2735, describing it as “a glimmer of hope towards the end of the Israeli aggression on Gaza.”

Calling its full implementation, he also emphasized the need for an immediate ceasefire, the return of displaced Palestinians, and the safe distribution of humanitarian aid.

In June 2024, the Security Council adopted resolution 2735, calling for an immediate and durable ceasefire in Gaza and rejecting any attempts at “demographic or territorial change” in the Gaza Strip.

He welcomed mediation efforts by Qatar, Egypt, and the US, and added: “The entire world supports a ceasefire in Gaza, and we all want to see its full implementation to lead to a sustainable and lasting ceasefire and to peace, to the region and the world.”

Palestine’s UN envoy Riyad Mansour also made remarks at the news conference, stressing that “what we need is to open doors for peace. What we need is a political horizon. What we need is to put an end to this illegal occupation as soon as possible.”

Mansour urged media outlets to ensure accurate reporting on issues related to Palestine, and asked to “not to allow further crimes to be committed against the Palestinian people, of imposing on us another Nakba, of kicking us out of our homeland.”

The Nakba, or catastrophe, is a term used by Palestinians to describe the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians by Jewish gangs in 1948 to make room for Israel’s creation.

“We have no homeland except Palestine. We love Palestine, we will rebuild the Gaza Strip. We will rebuild Palestine,” he stated, and expressed hopes to celebrate the independence of the State of Palestine one day.

Asked about specific steps the Palestinian mission would want to see from the Security Council or the General Assembly take in the next two weeks, Mansour noted they called on the Security Council to implement Resolution 2735.

“We told the Security Council … you have two things that you declared you are united around,” he continued, adding that “one is the implementation of Security Council resolution 2735 … The other is implementing your joy and happiness in which you declared unanimously … welcoming and committing yourself to the agreement on the ceasefire.”

Mansour stressed that action is needed within weeks, and stated: “If we do not see serious commitment … then we will go to Plan B, which I will not share with you, nor I shared with them now then.”