Israeli ministers' calls for Palestinians to be expelled from the Gaza Strip faced strong condemnations by Saudi Arabia and Qatar on Thursday.

Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Monday called for promoting "a solution to encourage the emigration of Gaza's residents" and the re-establishment of Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip, a day after far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich made similar comments.

Saudi Arabia "categorically condemns and rejects the comments of the two ministers," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

The kingdom called on the international community to act in the face of the Israeli government's "persistence" in violating international law "through its statements and actions."

Qatar, which played a mediating role in the temporary truce between Israel and Palestinian resistance group Hamas at the end of November, also "condemned in the strongest terms" the comments made by the two ministers.

"The policy of collective punishment and forced displacement practiced by the occupation authorities against the inhabitants of Gaza will not change the fact that Gaza is Palestinian land and will remain Palestinian," reads a statement published by Qatar's foreign ministry.

Kuwait followed suit with its Gulf neighbors, and warned against "Israeli plans to displace Gaza residents in particular, and the Palestinian people in general."

The United States, France and the European Union have also denounced the comments.

Israel's indiscriminate bombardments and a ground invasion have reduced swathes of Gaza to rubble and claimed at least 22,438 lives, mostly women and children, according to the enclave's health ministry.

The fighting erupted after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing around 1,140 people, according to Israeli figures.

The vast majority of Gaza's residents have been forced out of their homes in nearly three months of the conflict.