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Abbas Affirms to Blinken ‘Full Rejection’ of Gaza Displacement, Warns of ‘Second Nakba’

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. (dpa)
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. (dpa)
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Abbas Affirms to Blinken ‘Full Rejection’ of Gaza Displacement, Warns of ‘Second Nakba’

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. (dpa)
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. (dpa)

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday warned against a “second Nakba” catastrophe facing Palestinians after the Jewish state ordered the evacuation of north Gaza amid the ongoing Hamas-Israel war.

We “completely reject the displacement of our people from the Gaza Strip, because it will be tantamount to a second Nakba for our people,” he said during his meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Amman, according to a statement published by the official Palestinian news agency Wafa.

The Nakba, or “catastrophe,” refers to some 760,000 Palestinians who fled or were expelled from their homes during the 1948 war that coincided with Israel’s creation.

His remarks came after Israel ordered the Gaza Strip residents to flee from the north, an area home to some 1.1 million people. The UN warned of this order’s "devastating humanitarian consequences."

This order concurs with the seventh day of the war between the Jewish state and the “Hamas” movement and the increased possibility of a ground invasion of the besieged Strip.

The Strip has been under the control of the Movement since 2007 when the latter expelled the Palestinian Authority from it by force.

Israel's military warned residents of Gaza City on Friday morning that they had to leave the city and head into the southern half of the Gaza Strip, affirming that they would not be allowed to return before another statement was issued.

Hamas rejected the orders to evacuate the north of the Strip that continues to be shelled by Israel.

The Movement said that the Palestinians reject the threat of the occupation leaders and their calls on them in Gaza to leave their homes and move to the south or to Egypt. “We are steadfast on our land, in our homes, and in our cities... and there will be no displacement or deportation.”

There have been repeated calls for opening humanitarian corridors before the potential ground invasion by Israel, especially through the Rafah Border Crossing.

Egypt's President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi on Thursday urged Gazans to "stay steadfast and remain on their land," warning that the displacement of Gaza residents ends the Palestinian cause.

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Sudan’s Burhan Vows to Forge ahead in Defeating RSF

Head of Sudan’s Sovereignty Council and army commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan (R) during a visit to Musawwarat. (Facebook)
Head of Sudan’s Sovereignty Council and army commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan (R) during a visit to Musawwarat. (Facebook)
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Sudan’s Burhan Vows to Forge ahead in Defeating RSF

Head of Sudan’s Sovereignty Council and army commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan (R) during a visit to Musawwarat. (Facebook)
Head of Sudan’s Sovereignty Council and army commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan (R) during a visit to Musawwarat. (Facebook)

Head of Sudan’s Sovereignty Council and army commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan declared on Thursday that there can be no reconciliation with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

“We are forging ahead with the battle for dignity to defeat this rebellion. We will not betray the sacrifices of our sons and brothers, who gave their lives in defending their country,” he said during a visit to the Naqa and Musawwarat region in the Nile River state on the occasion of the 71st Army Day.

He hailed the Sudanese people who have stood by the armed forces, especially in the regions of El-Fasher, Babanusa and Kadugli, as well as all the forces that are defending and protecting the people.

On the same occasion, Prime Minister Kamil Idris said the armed forces have made several sacrifices in defending Sudan’s sovereignty.

“The country is waging a fateful war” against the RSF in order to preserve its unity and independence, he stressed.

The country is facing a fierce attack that is threatening the state, which demands internal unity and solidarity with the armed forces, he went on to say.

Meanwhile, reactions continued to pour in over the United Nations Security Council’s strong rejection of the establishment of a parallel government in areas held by the RSF, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.

The Foreign Ministry welcomed the statement, saying the Sudanese government remains committed to preserving the sovereignty, safety, security, stability and unity of the country.

It said it was ready to work with the international community in line with rules and norms that serve the interests of the people.

The Security Council on Wednesday rejected plans by the RSF to establish a rival government in areas it controls, warning that the move threatens the country’s territorial integrity and risks further exacerbating the ongoing civil war.

The strongly worded statement “unequivocally reaffirmed” its unwavering commitment to Sudan’s sovereignty, independence and unity.

Any steps to undermine these principles “threaten not only the future of Sudan but also the peace and stability of the broader region,” the statement said.

The 15-member council said the announcement by the RSF also risks “fragmenting the country and worsening an already dire humanitarian situation.”

Sudan plunged into conflict in mid-April 2023, when long-simmering tensions between its military and paramilitary leaders broke out in the capital, Khartoum, and spread to other regions, including western Darfur. Some 40,000 people have been killed, nearly 13 million displaced and many pushed to the brink of famine, UN agencies say.

The RSF and their allies announced in late June that they had formed a parallel government in areas the group controls, mainly in the vast Darfur region where allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity are being investigated.