Mahmoud Abbas Rejects Efforts To Transfer Palestinian People Forcibly

Illustration of Palestinian refugees in Gaza (@dok UN)

JAKARTA - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday, February 15, firmly rejected any attempt to expel the Palestinian people from their homeland.

"Anyone who thinks can force a new 'This Century Agreement' or expel Palestinians from their homeland is an intervening person," Abbas said at the 38th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital, reported by ANTARA, Sunday, 16 February.

Abbas emphasized that the call for forced transfer of the Palestinian people was merely an attempt to prevent war crimes, genocide, and destruction in Gaza, as well as the expansion of illegal settlements and attempts to annex the West Bank.

"The only place for the 1.5 million refugees living in Gaza to return are the cities and villages they left in 1948, in accordance with the 194 UN Resolution," he said.

He also highlighted that Israel's colonial practice required immediate action from the international community and the UN Security Council to prevent the rise of extremist forces seeking to bury a two-state solution.

In addition, Abbas called for support for the international peace conference scheduled to take place at the United Nations in mid-June.

According to him, this conference aims to garner international support to gain global recognition of the Palestinian state, secure full membership at the United Nations, and realize a two-state solution based on international law.

United States President Donald Trump previously proposed plans to "take over" Gaza, relocate Palestinians to neighboring countries, and turn the region into "Riviera in the Middle East."

The "Deep Agreement" that Trump announced in 2020 as a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has come under widespread criticism from the Arab world and the international community.

The ceasefire deal came into effect in Gaza on January 19, halting a war that has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and destroyed the region.