Turkey and seven other Muslim-majority countries issued a joint warning on Friday against any Israeli move to open Gaza’s Rafah crossing “in one direction,” saying they reject any step that would result in Palestinians being pushed into Egypt.
In the statement the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar said they were “deeply concerned” by Israeli remarks about using Rafah to move residents of Gaza into Egyptian territory.
The ministers said they “underscore their absolute rejection of any attempts to expel the Palestinian people from their land” and called for “full adherence” to the Gaza plan backed by US President Donald Trump. They said that plan requires Rafah to remain open in both directions and prohibits compelling Gaza residents to leave.
The statement said governments should instead “create the right conditions for them to stay on their land and participate in building their homeland.”
The ministers thanked Trump for what they described as his commitment to regional peace and urged the “full implementation” of his Gaza plan to support the current ceasefire and regional stability. They said this includes sustaining the ceasefire, easing civilian suffering, allowing “unrestricted entry of humanitarian assistance,” beginning reconstruction and enabling the Palestinian Authority to resume its administrative role in Gaza.
Israel has said it plans to open Rafah to allow civilians to exit Gaza, framing the move as a humanitarian option. Egypt has denied agreeing to any one-way arrangement and has warned that large population movements into Sinai would be unacceptable.
The eight countries said they oppose “compelling any resident of the Gaza Strip to leave” and linked their position to UN Security Council Resolution 2803 and other UN resolutions. They said the goal remains a two-state outcome that leads to an independent Palestinian state “on the lines of June 4, 1967, including the occupied territories in Gaza and the West Bank, with East Jerusalem as its capital.”