Ankara: Egypt announced that a preliminary agreement has been reached to hold an emergency ministerial meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to reject the relocation of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.

According to Anadolu Agency, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty engaged in discussions with counterparts from OIC member states, including Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Iran, and Jordan, to address developments concerning Palestine, as mentioned in a Foreign Ministry statement. "These discussions resulted in a preliminary agreement to hold an emergency OIC ministerial meeting following the Arab summit in Cairo on Feb. 27," the statement noted. However, no specific date has been set for the meeting.

The meeting aims to "reaffirm the longstanding Palestinian, Arab, and Islamic positions on the Palestinian cause and uphold the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, foremost among them the right to self-determination and to live in their homeland and on their land," according to the ministry. This response comes amid US President Donald Trump's repeated calls for taking over Gaza and resettling Palestinians to neighboring countries, including Egypt and Jordan, an idea widely rejected by Palestinian and Arab leaders.

Trump's proposal follows a ceasefire and prisoner swap agreement that took effect in Gaza on Jan. 19, pausing Israel's war, which has resulted in over 48,200 casualties and left the area devastated. The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November last year for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Additionally, Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in the enclave.