Hamas has warned that growing Israeli discussions about new plans to displace the population of the Gaza Strip represent a dangerous escalation in efforts to forcibly remove Palestinians from their homeland through the systematic destruction of the territory’s means of survival.

In a press statement issued on Wednesday, Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said the latest Israeli proposals reflect the seriousness of ongoing attempts to impose forced displacement on the Palestinian people amid the continued devastation caused by the occupation’s military campaign in Gaza.

Qassem called on the Arab League to convene an urgent emergency summit to address what he described as a grave threat not only to the Palestinian people but also to the broader Arab region. He stressed that the proposed displacement plans constitute a direct challenge to Arab national security and carry serious implications for neighboring countries, particularly Egypt.

“The current stage requires a unified Arab position that moves beyond statements of condemnation,” Qassem said, urging Arab governments to take practical political and diplomatic measures aimed at thwarting any attempt to expel Palestinians from Gaza.

He emphasized that urgent action is needed to stop what Hamas describes as the ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip, end Israel’s military offensive, and lift the suffocating blockade that has subjected more than two million Palestinians to catastrophic humanitarian conditions.

Qassem's remarks come amid increasing concerns among Palestinian factions and rights advocates over reports and discussions within Israeli political circles regarding post-war arrangements for Gaza, including proposals that Palestinians fear could pave the way for large-scale displacement and demographic change.

In a separate statement, the Palestinian Resistance Committees strongly condemned comments attributed to the so-called “Peace Council,” which reportedly suggested that the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) would have no role in what was described as a “new Gaza.”

The movement argued that such remarks expose what it called the council’s alignment with Israeli objectives and efforts to reshape Gaza’s future without regard for Palestinian rights or national aspirations.

According to the Resistance Committees, proposals seeking to marginalize UNRWA and redefine the future of Gaza are part of a broader project aimed at undermining the Palestinian cause and eroding the political dimensions of the conflict. The group warned that reducing the Palestinian struggle to a humanitarian issue ignores the root causes of the conflict, including occupation, displacement, and the denial of Palestinian national rights.

Palestinian factions have repeatedly rejected any plans that could lead to the forced transfer of Gaza’s population or alter the demographic character of the territory. They maintain that the Palestinian people remain committed to their land despite months of war, destruction, and displacement.

As concerns grow over the future of Gaza, Palestinian leaders continue to call for stronger regional and international action to halt Israeli policies, protect civilians, and safeguard the Palestinian people's right to remain on their land and determine their own future. (ILKHA)