Iraqi president condemns displacement of Palestinians at Cairo summit, calls for Gaza reconstruction

NEWSROOM — Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid reiterated Iraq’s support for an internationally recognized Palestinian state “with Jerusalem as its capital” during the emergency Arab summit in Cairo on Tuesday.

“We reaffirm our firm position in support of the Palestinian people’s aspirations to establish an internationally recognized Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital,” Rashid said in his speech from Egypt.

Rashid warned of the “catastrophic consequences” of efforts to remove Palestinians from their land and called on the international and Islamic communities to take “swift action” against such measures.

In early February, U.S. President Donald Trump proposed relocating Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to neighboring countries such as Egypt and Jordan, even suggesting that the U.S. could “take over” and redevelop the Gaza Strip. This proposal was met with widespread condemnation, including from Iraq. 

Rashid also urged immediate efforts to rebuild Gaza, reiterating Iraq’s call for a reconstruction fund.

Excerpts from President Rashid’s speech during the summit :

We reaffirm our firm position in support of the Palestinian people’s aspirations to establish an internationally recognized Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.

Iraq strongly condemns the decision of the Zionist entity to ban the operations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in the occupied territories and the call to forcibly displace two million Palestinians from Gaza to other countries.

We warn of the catastrophic consequences of projects aimed at eliminating the Palestinian presence, depriving them of their rightful land, and the serious repercussions such actions will have on regional stability and security.

We call on the international and Islamic communities to take swift action and stand united against all efforts to forcibly displace Palestinians from their land and homeland.

We urge immediate efforts to rebuild the Gaza Strip and reiterate our call for the establishment of a reconstruction fund based on a well-assessed plan to determine needs.

Iraq strongly rejects any attempt to create an alternative homeland for Palestinians outside their land or to seize their territories.