Displacement of Palestinians to be considered 'declaration of war': Jordan

Jordanian Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh has warned against vicious attempts by the Israeli regime to displace Palestinians from the Gaza Strip or the occupied West Bank, saying any such move would be a "declaration of war."

Khasawneh said in a statement on Tuesday that all options were on the table for Jordan within the framework of a gradual stance in dealing with the ongoing Israeli aggression on the besieged Palestinian enclave and its repercussions.

Any attempt by Israel to displace Palestinians would be considered a "red line" and could be deemed a declaration of war, the prime minister noted.

“The continuation of the sinful aggression against the Gaza Strip, with all its crimes, constitutes a flagrant violation of international law and international humanitarian law,” he said. 

“The immunity and protection that gives Israel a license to massacre Palestinian civilians must be stopped. International humanitarian law prohibits and criminalizes targeting and killing civilians, without exception,” he added.

The premier made remarks in a meeting held in the Jordanian House of Representatives with the members of the Permanent Bureau and heads of parliamentary blocs and committees.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Khasawneh said the Israeli aggression would not succeed in violating legitimate Palestinian rights and establishing an independent, sovereign Palestinian state on the lines of 4 June 1967, in accordance with the two-state solution, with East al-Quds as its capital.

Norwegian Refugee Council chief warns of forced displacement of Palestinians

Norwegian Refugee Council Chief Jan Egeland pointed to recent comments by far-right Israeli minister Bezalel Smotrich, who has urged that so-called “security zones” be established around illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and along major roads.

The move “would prevent Palestinians [from] freely moving & increase [the] risk of forced displacement,” Egeland wrote on social media.

He also said that in Gaza, the past month has seen “the transfer, en masse, of Palestinians without any guarantees of their safety, survival, and eventual return to their homes."

“Israel must not further perpetrate forcible transfer, and should allow the safe return and compensate for damages caused to displaced Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza according to international law,” Egeland said.

ME