UPDATED: Int'l, Arab rights advocates reaffirm commitment to Palestinian rights, oppose forced displacement - Foreign Affairs
In a final statement, the conference strongly condemned all attempts aimed at forcibly displacing Gaza's residents, stressing that such actions constitute a grave violation of international law and a contribution to genocide.
The conference, which brought together over 80 Arab and international human rights advocates, aimed to mobilize regional and global efforts to prevent the forced displacement of Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip.
Six human rights organizations organized the conference, which featured speakers from the National Council for Human Rights (NCHR), the Arab Network for National Human Rights Institutions (ANNHRIs), the Arab Organization for Human Rights (AOHR), and the Palestinian Al-Mezan Centre for Human Rights.
This follows a series of events held to reject US President Donald Trump's recent proposal suggesting that Washington "takes control" of Gaza, forcibly displaces its native Palestinian population, and establishes a "Middle Eastern Riviera."
This proposal, which cited Egypt, Jordan, and other Arab countries as potential destinations for Palestinians, has sparked global outrage and a collective rejection from Arab nations.
It further affirmed the Palestinian people's right to self-determination, an inalienable right that no international or regional power can override.
The statement urged the international community to end Israel's occupation and establish an independent Palestinian state along the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
'We express our appreciation and support for Arab and international positions rejecting forced displacement, particularly those of Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE,' it said.
The statement denounced Israeli policies aimed at imposing new realities on the ground through continued aggression, settlement expansion, and forced displacement.
'We hold Israel fully responsible for its crimes against the Palestinian people,' the statement read.
Additionally, it called on the signatories of the Geneva Conventions to take legal measures to protect Palestinian civilians from war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, the West Bank, and Jerusalem.
The conference urged the UN Security Council and the international community to take decisive action against Israeli policies and violations and ensure that perpetrators are brought to justice.
'We support unhindered humanitarian aid to Gaza and stress the essential role of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), condemning all efforts to undermine it through illegal legislation or decisions to end its operations,' it said.
The statement further committed to the Palestinian people's right to reconstruction and a dignified life, free from external interference that hinders rebuilding efforts.
'We support Egypt's reconstruction plan for Gaza and urge Arab nations and the international community to support such plans,' it said, rejecting any attempts to obstruct reconstruction efforts or impose political conditions.
The statement emphasized Israel's responsibility for the destruction and necessary reparations, committing to presenting the conference's outcomes to international organizations.
'We urge human rights organizations, media, and unions to expose Israeli violations and defend Palestinian rights,' it added.
The statement also called on all Palestinians to strengthen their national unity in the face of grave threats posed by Israeli policies aimed at erasing their existence.
Israeli terrorism
Addressing the conference, NCHR Secretary-General Fahmy Fayed noted that forced displacement is a humanitarian crime and a violation of international law, to which the Palestinian people have been subjected systematically since the 1948 Nakba.
Fayed also highlighted the Israeli policies of settlement and home demolitions, accusing Israel of attempting to alter the demography of the occupied Palestinian territories.
Furthermore, he urged vigilance against Israeli and US statements about 'voluntary displacement" from Gaza until the reconstruction happens, affirming that such endeavours aim to liquidate the Palestinian cause.
He said the concept of "voluntary displacement" ultimately leads to "forced displacement" due to the destruction of livelihoods.
Fayed also called for supporting the Palestinians' right to self-determination and the two-state solution.
Meanwhile, President of the AOHR Alaa Shalby expressed his support for the Egyptian and Jordanian stance against Israeli-American attempts to dismantle the Palestinian cause, emphasising its centrality to his organization's work for decades.
Shalby called for concerted action to counter the threats facing the Palestinians, considering this a key motivation for the conference.
He condemned "Israeli terrorism" and "American arrogance," pledging continued support for the Palestinian people.
For his part, ANNHRIs Secretary-General Sultan bin Hassan Al-Jamali highlighted the danger of the forced displacement threats facing the Palestinians.
He asserted that the conference aims to address an "international tyranny and oppression seeking to impose its will over peoples of the world and confiscate their right to self-determination, giving priority to its whims over the human rights' international charter.'
Al-Jamali affirmed the Arab organization's commitment to defending Palestinians and strengthening their resistance, describing the Palestinian cause as 'the cause of all Arabs, Muslims, and every man of honour.'
'Stifling the Palestinian cause is humiliation and stifling of the entire Arab nation,' he asserted.
The director of the Al-Mezan Centre, Issam Younis, also described the situation as the most dangerous since the 1948 Nakba.
Since the onset of its war on Gaza, Israel has sought to displace the Palestinians toward the Egyptian border to empty northern Gaza, he noted.
However, the Palestinians have returned on foot to their destroyed homes since the ceasefire began.
"Instead of the displacement of Palestinians to the south, we are currently witnessing their return to the north,' Younis said, hailing the scene.
He further highlighted the destruction and casualties caused in Gaza by the Israeli war, which has killed and wounded over 160,000 Palestinians.
In addition, he praised Egypt and Jordan for rejecting the liquidation of the Palestinian cause and condemning the genocide in Gaza and the West Bank.
The conference addressed four main areas of focus. First, it discussed enhancing the humanitarian response, emphasizing the need for international support mechanisms to alleviate the deteriorating conditions in the Gaza Strip.
Second, it focused on accountability efforts and exploring ways to prosecute those responsible for serious violations against the Palestinian people under international law.
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