By Ibrahim Khazen and Mohammad Sio
BAGHDAD /ISTANBUL - Egypt and Iraq firmly rejected any forced displacement of Palestinians to neighboring countries and signed 12 cooperation agreements, primarily in economic sectors on Thursday.
The announcement came at a news conference in Baghdad with Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and his Iraqi counterpart, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, as part of Madbouly’s indefinite visit to Iraq.
“We held the third session of the Egyptian-Iraqi Joint Higher Committee today, and we are hopeful that it will mark a significant step forward in our bilateral relations across various fields,” said Madbouly.
He emphasized that Egypt and Iraq share a unified stance on key regional challenges, particularly the Palestinians’ right to an independent state. “We completely oppose any measures that could lead to the forced displacement of our Palestinian brothers to any neighboring country, as this would amount to the liquidation of the Palestinian cause,” he said.
Sudani highlighted the strong foundation for cooperation in trade, development, culture and science. According to a statement by the Iraqi Cabinet, the two nations signed 11 memoranda of understanding in June 2023 and expanded collaboration with 12 new agreements covering transport, local development, trade, silo maintenance and telecommunications.
“The high level of coordination between Iraq and Egypt continues, particularly regarding the ongoing aggression against Gaza and Lebanon, humanitarian relief for Palestinians, and aid delivery,” said Sudani.
He reaffirmed Iraq’s “absolute rejection” of any efforts or proposals to displace Palestinians, stressing their right to establish a state with East Jerusalem as its capital. “We support all regional efforts to stabilize the situation and achieve a comprehensive and lasting cease-fire. The occupation government must not be allowed to escalate the war,” he added.
Egypt has repeatedly rejected displacement proposals since US President Donald Trump suggested Saturday that Palestinians from Gaza be relocated to neighboring countries like Egypt and Jordan, citing a lack of habitable areas in the war-torn enclave. Israel has devastated Gaza for more than 15 months with a genocidal war.
While Egyptian responses have avoided directly referencing Trump, officials have consistently denounced any attempt to expel Palestinians from their homeland. The Foreign Ministry issued a statement Sunday that denounced the plan, followed by remarks from Parliament Speaker Hanafy Jebali on Monday and Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty before the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Tuesday.
Jordan, Iraq, France, Germany, the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the UN have also rejected Trump’s proposal.
The Israeli onslaught against Gaza has left more than 11,000 people missing, with widespread destruction and a humanitarian crisis that has claimed the lives of many elderly people and children in one of the worst-ever global humanitarian disasters.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November last year for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.