The foreign ministers of the UAE, Saudi Arabia and six other countries on Friday condemned Israeli plans to open the Rafah crossing as a one-way exit for Palestinians to leave Gaza.
Israel on Wednesday said it would open the Rafah crossing “exclusively for the exit of residents” from the Gaza Strip, as Hamas returned the remains of a deceased hostage.
In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Turkey expressed "strong concern" about the plan.
The ministers underscore "their absolute rejection of any attempts to expel the Palestinian people from their land and stress the necessity of the full adherence to the plan proposed by US President Donald Trump”, the statement said.
Cogat, the Israeli military's arm that oversees aid flows, said the key border crossing will be open “in the coming days” and the “residents' exit will be facilitated through co-ordination with Egypt, following security approval by Israel”.
The ministers praised Mr Trump’s "commitment to establishing peace in the region" and stressed the importance of moving forward with the full implementation of the “Trump Plan” without delay or obstruction.
"The ministers underscore the need to fully sustain the ceasefire, alleviate civilian suffering, ensure the unrestricted entry of humanitarian assistance into the Gaza Strip, initiate early recovery and reconstruction efforts, and create the conditions necessary for the Palestinian Authority to resume its responsibilities in the Gaza Strip - thereby laying the groundwork for a new phase of security and stability in the region," the statement read.
Egypt denied on Wednesday that it was working with Israel to allow Gaza residents to exit the strip, saying that “if there was an agreement to open the border crossing, it would be two-way for residents to enter and exit".
It is not clear what Egypt's denial means for Israel's planned opening of the crossing. The announcement came as Gazans reported some of the worst nights of attacks since the ceasefire began in October.
