The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk has said that he was “very disturbed” by Israeli calls for Palestinians to leave the besieged Gaza Strip, stressing that international law prohibits their forcible transfer.
Israel’s far-right so-called “national security” minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Monday called for promoting “a solution to encourage the emigration of Gaza’s residents” and the construction of Israeli settlements in the strip.
His remarks came a day after far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich also urged the return of settlers to Gaza. Smotrich said Israel should “encourage” Gaza’s 2.4 million people to leave.
“Very disturbed by high-level Israeli officials’ statements on plans to transfer civilians from Gaza to third countries,” Turk wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Thursday.
He noted that “international law prohibits forcible transfer of protected persons within or deportation from occupied territory.”
A day earlier, Balakrishnan Rajagopal, the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing, said the forcible transfer of Gazans is an “act of genocide.”
“Forcible transfer of Gazan population is an act of genocide, especially given the high number of children,” he said, warning other states not to be part of such a move.
“Congolese or other states’ officials will be guilty of aiding and abetting genocide if they agree to any transfer of population,” Rajagopal said on X.
That came as media reports said Israeli officials have held clandestine talks with the African nation of Congo and several others for the potential acceptance of displaced Gazans.
Israel launched the war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas waged the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in response to the Israeli regime’s decades-long campaign of bloodletting and devastation against Palestinians.
Since the start of the offensive, the Tel Aviv regime has killed at least 22,438 Palestinians and injured more than 57,614 others.
Thousands more are also missing and presumed dead under the rubble in Gaza, which is under “complete siege” by Israel.
