Arab and international condemnation intensified on Wednesday over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s remarks linking himself to what he called the “Greater Israel vision,” as fighting in Gaza escalated and the death toll continued to rise amid warnings of a deepening humanitarian catastrophe.
The Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced Netanyahu’s comments as a “dangerous provocative escalation,” a threat to state sovereignty, and a violation of international law and the UN Charter. Ministry spokesperson Ambassador Sufian Qudah dismissed the remarks as “futile illusions” that would not undermine Jordan or other Arab states, saying they reflected “the embattled state of the Israeli government and its international isolation” amid the war on Gaza and the occupied West Bank. He urged urgent international action to stop such incitement, which he warned threatened regional security.
According to The Times of Israel, Netanyahu—wanted by the International Criminal Court on war crimes charges—told an interviewer he saw himself on a “historic and spiritual mission” encompassing territory earmarked for a future Palestinian state as well as parts of Jordan and Egypt.
In Cairo, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan reiterated their “absolute rejection” of an Israeli ministerial decision to plan for the occupation of Gaza. In a phone call, the two described the move as an attempt to “entrench illegal occupation” and perpetuate a “genocidal war” in violation of international humanitarian law. Abdelatty said Egypt was working with Qatar and the United States to broker a deal for detainee and prisoner exchanges, a ceasefire, and the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid.
On the ground, Gaza’s Health Ministry reported 123 deaths and 437 injuries in the past 24 hours, bringing the toll since fighting resumed on March 18 to more than 10,200. Since the war began on October 7, 2023, over 61,700 Palestinians have been killed and 154,500 wounded. The ministry also reported eight new famine-related deaths—including three children—in the past day, bringing the total from hunger and malnutrition to 235, including 106 children.
Palestinian media said seven people were killed and 20 wounded when Israeli aircraft targeted aid security personnel in northern Gaza. Meanwhile, the Associated Press cited sources claiming Israel was in talks with South Sudan to take in Palestinians from Gaza as part of a broader Israeli-U.S. displacement plan. The South Sudanese government denied the report as baseless.
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon sharply criticised Netanyahu, saying he had “lost his mind” and condemning annexation, forced displacement, and the Gaza blockade as “utterly appalling” and “completely unacceptable.”
Abdelatty’s remarks that nothing precluded the deployment of international forces in Gaza—echoed by French President Emmanuel Macron’s proposal for a UN-mandated coalition—rekindled debate over postwar governance of the enclave, including a possible Palestinian Authority return and prospects for a broader political settlement.
Meanwhile, a Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo for talks with Egyptian officials on the war and developments in the West Bank, Jerusalem, and Al-Aqsa Mosque. Israeli Channel 12 reported that Tel Aviv was considering sending a senior delegation to Doha later this week to negotiate a comprehensive agreement covering all issues, rather than a partial deal.
