EU rejects forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza

The European Union has rejected any attempt to forcibly displace Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, saying there should be no demographic or territorial changes to the enclave.

European Commission spokesperson Christian Wigand made the comments during a news conference on Friday in response to questions about proposals by senior Israeli officials to encourage Palestinians to leave Gaza.

"We reject any attempt at demographic or territorial changes in the Gaza Strip," Wigand said, reiterating the EU's position in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2735.

"There should be no forced displacement of Gazans. Gaza is part and parcel of a future Palestinian state," he added.

The comments come amid renewed calls from Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir for Palestinians to leave Gaza.

Katz has said Israel is preparing arrangements to facilitate the departure of Palestinians from the territory, while Ben-Gvir has promoted a plan involving the departure of large numbers of Palestinians over several years.

The proposals have drawn widespread international concern, particularly over whether any departure could be considered voluntary given the circumstances facing Gaza's population.

Under international humanitarian law, the forced displacement of civilians from occupied territory is prohibited and can constitute a war crime, depending on the circumstances.

The EU has also reaffirmed its support for Gaza and the occupied West Bank being brought under a unified Palestinian Authority as part of efforts towards establishing a future Palestinian state.