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Muslim nations reject Trump’s call to empty Gaza Strip of Palestinians

08 Mar 2025 4 minute read
Donald Trump. Photo Anna Moneymaker

Foreign ministers from Muslim nations have rejected calls by US President Donald Trump to empty the Gaza Strip of its Palestinian population, and instead backed a plan for an administrative committee of Palestinians to govern the territory to allow reconstruction to go ahead.

Meanwhile, Hamas reported “positive signals” in talks with Egyptian and Qatari mediators in Cairo on starting negotiations on the delayed second phase of its ceasefire deal with Israel.

Spokesman Abdel-Latif al-Qanoua gave no details, but said the group is willing to start talks and its delegation has been discussing the means to do so.

Ceasefire doubts

The foreign ministers gathered in the Saudi city of Jeddah for a special session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to address the situation in Gaza, at a time when the seven-week-old ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has been thrown into doubt.

In a statement, the gathering threw its support behind a plan to rebuild Gaza put forward by Egypt and backed by Arab states, including Saudi Arabia and Jordan, aimed at countering Mr Trump’s call.

The OIC comprises 57 nations with largely Muslim populations.

Without specifically mentioning Mr Trump, the ministers said they rejected “plans aimed at displacing the Palestinian people individually or collectively … as ethnic cleansing, a grave violation of international law and a crime against humanity”.

They also condemned “policies of starvation” that they said aim to push Palestinians to leave.

The OIC also reinstated Syria as a member of the grouping.

Syria was removed from the OIC in 2012 over then-president Bashar Assad’s brutal crackdown on opposition protests.

After some 14 years of civil war, Mr Assad was ousted in December by Islamist-led insurgents who have since created a transitional government.

Hostages

The ceasefire that began in mid-January brought a pause in Israel’s campaign of bombardment and ground offensives in Gaza aimed at destroying Hamas after its attack on southern Israel on October 7 2023.

The ceasefire’s first phase saw the release of 25 Israeli hostages held by militants in Gaza and the bodies of eight others in exchange for the freeing of nearly 2,000 Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.

But an intended second phase of the deal – meant to bring the release of remaining hostages and a lasting truce and full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza – has been thrown into doubt.

Israel has baulked at entering negotiations over the terms of the second phase. Instead, it has called for Hamas to release half its remaining hostages in return for an extension of the ceasefire and a promise to negotiate a lasting truce.

Since Sunday, Israel has barred all food, fuel, medicine and other supplies from entering Gaza for some two million people, demanding Hamas accept the revised deal.

At the same time, Mr Trump has called for Gaza’s population to be resettled elsewhere permanently so that the United States can take over the territory and develop it for others.

Palestinians have rejected calls to leave.

The ministers at the OIC gathering supported an Egyptian-backed proposal that an administrative committee replace Hamas in governing Gaza.

The committee would work “under the umbrella” of the Palestinian Authority, based in the West Bank. Israel has rejected the authority having any role in the Gaza Strip, but has not put forward an alternative for post-war rule in the territory.

Under the ceasefire, Israeli forces have pulled back to a zone along Gaza’s edges.

Death toll

Early on Saturday, an Israeli strike killed two Palestinians in Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah, the Palestinian health ministry said.

The Israeli military said it struck several men who appeared to have been flying a drone that entered Israel from Gaza.

Israel’s military offensive has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s health ministry, which does not say how many of the dead were militants.

The campaign was triggered by Hamas’ October 2023 attack, in which militants killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, inside Israel and took a total of 251 people hostage.

Most have been released in ceasefire agreements or other arrangements.

Hamas is believed to still have 24 living hostages and the bodies of 34 others.


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Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
17 hours ago

Godfather to Trwmp’s grandchildren…two giants in the criminal world…

As the last of the Second World War veterans leave us, their memory vanishes by order of the White House…

Last edited 17 hours ago by Mab Meirion
Rob
Rob
17 hours ago

What does the US get in return from supporting Israel? Mineral deals? Is Netanyahu expected to express his gratitude like Zelensky?

Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
17 hours ago
Reply to  Rob

It is about ‘family’ Musk also,

It is possible in a shortish space of time to play ‘Family History Connections’

These folks are a Netflix series, believe me, see Tesla..,.

Adrian
Adrian
16 hours ago

It probably has something to do with the fact that none of them want any Palestinians in their countries: you’ll notice the complete absence of any refugee intake from Egypt for example.

Jeff
Jeff
16 hours ago

Trump has tanked the US reputation on the world stage faster than truss tanked the UK. US wont come back from this.

He is now directly responsible for deaths in Ukraine and threatened to murder people in Gaza. Farage still rates him?

Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
15 hours ago
Reply to  Jeff

150,000 deaths over the next year without USAID…NYT…

We are dealing with serial killers here, Fat Shanks anybody…

Last edited 15 hours ago by Mab Meirion
Jeff
Jeff
15 hours ago
Reply to  Mab Meirion

One study is a million plus.

now they want to let avian flu run through the chickens then breed the survivors. Vitamins for measles, Really are blithering idiots and we have a US branch alive and fighting amongst themselves in the uk.

Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
14 hours ago
Reply to  Jeff

Our lot are like the Sex Pistols compared to the Ramones

warning: book rec. ‘Please Kill Me’ Legs McNeil…

Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
1 hour ago
Reply to  Mab Meirion

One thing one can say about Trwmp…

The Americans brought it on themselves…

No more Corn Flakes for Cymru…

Bilbo
Bilbo
8 minutes ago

If we want to know how Trump geopolitical “deals” work out see: Afghanistan.

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