Egypt condemned Israeli plans to forcibly displace Palestinians from Gaza, calling them ethnic cleansing and a war crime, even as it controversially strengthens economic ties with Tel Aviv.
In a statement on Sunday, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said reports of Israeli consultations with foreign governments over potential relocation schemes were part of “an unacceptable Israeli policy aimed at emptying Palestinian land.”
Cairo said it had contacted countries allegedly approached by Israel, without naming them, adding that they rejected involvement in these “reprehensible plans.”
“Egypt will not accept the displacement and will not participate in it, as it is a historical injustice that has no moral or legal justification,” the ministry said. It added that any attempt to push Palestinians from their land would “inevitably lead to the liquidation of the Palestinian cause.”
The statement stressed Egypt’s “absolute rejection” of any attempt to remove Palestinians from the Gaza Strip or the occupied West Bank, urging states worldwide not to “be involved in this immoral crime that contravenes all principles of international humanitarian law, constitutes a war crime and ethnic cleansing, and represents a clear violation of the four Geneva Conventions.”
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Cairo also warned of “historical and legal responsibility” for any country that cooperates with such measures, saying the consequences would reverberate regionally and internationally.
Egypt’s comments come as reports emerged that South Sudan is in talks with Israel about resettling Palestinians forcibly displaced from Gaza.
The Associated Press reported that talks had taken place between the two countries about transferring Palestinians, citing six sources familiar with the discussions. It is unclear how far the talks have progressed.
Joe Szlavik, a US lobbyist working with South Sudan, told AP he was briefed by South Sudanese officials on the talks, and that an Israeli delegation had planned to visit the country to explore the possibility of setting up camps for Palestinians.
Israeli plan to ethnically cleans northern Gaza
The strong Egyptian rebuke came as the Israeli army announced preparations to ethnically cleanse a million residents from Gaza City, days after signalling a new offensive on the enclave’s largest urban centre.
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Gaza health officials reported at least 57 people were by Israeli forces on Sunday, 38 of them were shot dead while trying to reach desperately needed aid.
According to a statement from the Israeli Coordination of Government Activities in the Palestinian Territories (COGAT), the military would begin providing tents and shelter equipment to civilians in southern Gaza as they flee from Israeli war planes.
Meanwhile, Israel’s Channel 12 aired leaked recordings of a senior general calling for the mass killing of Palestinians in Gaza.
The officer, Gen. (retired) Aharon Haliva, who led military intelligence on 7 October 2023, was heard saying that “50 Palestinians must die for every person killed that day, and it does not matter now if they are children.” The broadcaster said the recordings were made “in recent months.”
Haliva went on to say that the Palestinians “need a Nakba every now and then to feel the price,” in reference to the 1948 mass ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.
Haliva can be heard insisting that the killings are “not revenge,” but rather a “deterrent to future generations”.
Egypt’s denunciation of Israeli displacement plans comes amid scrutiny of Cairo’s own relationship with Israel, following a $35bn gas import deal signed earlier this month that will almost triple Egyptian imports from Israel’s Leviathan offshore field through to 2040.
People have condemned the deal for its economic complicity in empowering Israel in the middle of an ongoing genocide.
