RAMALLAH (Palestine), Feb 20 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reaffirmed that his country is "not for sale" and his rejection of any calls for the displacement of the Palestinian people, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported.
It came during the opening speech of a meeting of Fatah's Central Committee in Ramallah in the central West Bank on Wednesday, according to the official Palestinian news agency, Wafa.
Referring to his participation in the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, which concluded Saturday, Abbas stated that he reaffirmed Palestine’s firm stance against any attempts to displace the Palestinian people.
"Palestine is not for sale,” he emphasised, reiterating “the firm Palestinian position that no part of its territory -- including Gaza, the West Bank, or Jerusalem -- would be relinquished.
Abbas stressed “the importance of adhering to international legitimacy and the Arab Peace Initiative as the basis for any political resolution of the Palestinian cause.”
Adopted at the 2002 Arab League Summit in Beirut, the Arab Peace Initiative calls for the establishment of a recognised Palestinian state within 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in exchange for Arab states recognizing Israel and normalising relations.
Abbas welcomed statements by United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Mohammed bin Zayed, made Wednesday during his meeting with United States (US) Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in which he reaffirmed his country’s firm rejection of any attempts to displace the Palestinian people and stressed that Gaza’s reconstruction must be linked to a path leading to comprehensive peace.
Fatah's Central Committee also rejected all calls for the displacement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip or any part of occupied Palestinian land, according to Anadolu’s report.
It stressed that “such plans are destined to fail, given the clear opposition from Arab and international parties, which have deemed them violations of international law and legitimacy.”
The committee praised the positions of Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries, which have rejected attempts to displace Palestinians or undermine their legitimate rights.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly suggested he would “take over” Gaza and resettle its population to redevelop the enclave into what he called “the Riviera of the Middle East.” The idea has been vehemently rejected by the Arab world and other nations, who said it amounts to ethnic cleansing.
A ceasefire and prisoner swap agreement in Gaza took effect Jan 19, suspending Israel’s genocidal war that has killed nearly 48,300 Palestinians and left the enclave in ruins.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants in November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for its war on the enclave.
-- BERNAMA-ANADOLU
BERNAMA provides up-to-date authentic and comprehensive news and information which are disseminated via BERNAMA Wires; www.bernama.com; BERNAMA TV on Astro 502, unifi TV 631 and MYTV 121 channels and BERNAMA Radio on FM93.9 (Klang Valley), FM107.5 (Johor Bahru), FM107.9 (Kota Kinabalu) and FM100.9 (Kuching) frequencies.
Follow us on social media :
Facebook : @bernamaofficial, @bernamatv, @bernamaradio
Twitter : @bernama.com, @BernamaTV, @bernamaradio
Instagram : @bernamaofficial, @bernamatvofficial, @bernamaradioofficial
TikTok : @bernamaofficial
