Palestinian foreign ministry: Israel treating Gaza as ‘real estate’ reflects plans of genocide

Palestinian Authority’s Foreign Affairs Minister Varsen Aghabekian attends a press conference on August 28, 2025 in Riga, Latvia. (File/AFP)

• Palestine, Jordan also condemn Fiji’s decision to open an embassy in Jerusalem
• Call move a violation of international law and a blow to the two-state solution

DUBAI: The Palestinian Foreign Ministry on Thursday accused Israel of pursuing policies aimed at genocide and displacement in Gaza, and condemned as inflammatory the comments of an Israeli minister who said the devastation in Gaza could be turned into a lucrative real estate project.
Israel’s finance minister Bezalel Smotrich described the Gaza Strip as “a real estate bonanza” and said a plan outlining its division had been shared with the United States, Israeli media reported on Wednesday.
US President Donald Trump once floated the idea of turning Gaza into a “Riviera of the Middle East.”
The ministry, in a statement, said that such rhetoric amounted to “official admissions” of Israeli intentions to destroy Gaza and displace its population, warning that the situation represented a deliberate escalation of crimes against Palestinians. 
It reaffirmed that Gaza is “an inseparable part of the land of the State of Palestine under international law,” and urged swift international intervention to stop Israeli actions and protect civilians.
The ministry also criticized Fiji’s decision to open an embassy in Jerusalem, calling it “an aggression against the Palestinian people and their legitimate rights.” It said the move violated international law and undermined prospects for peace.
Jordan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also issued a similar condemnation, describing Fiji’s decision as “a blatant violation of international law and UN resolutions” and “a direct threat” to a two-state solution. 
Ministry spokesperson Sufian Qudah stressed that any attempts to alter Jerusalem’s legal or political status are “null and void.”
Jordan reaffirmed its position that the only path to lasting peace and stability in the region lies in the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the June 4, 1967, borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.