Mogadishu, Somalia — Somalia has rejected what it described as external pressure to accept the forcible displacement of Palestinians, condemning the proposal as a "criminal act" and vowing not to take part in the removal of Palestinians from their land.

Foreign Minister Abdisalam Abdi Ali said Mogadishu would not be party to any plan involving the forced relocation of Palestinians, according to Al Jazeera Arabic. He did not name the actors behind the alleged pressure.

"Somalia rejects any attempt to impose the displacement of the Palestinian people," he said, adding that such actions would constitute a grave violation of international law.

The remarks come amid heightened regional tensions following a visit by Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar to Somaliland, a self-declared breakaway region of Somalia. The visit followed Israel's decision to establish diplomatic ties with Hargeisa, a move that has sparked widespread international criticism.

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Somalia has repeatedly asserted that Somaliland remains an integral part of its sovereign territory, a position recognised by the international community.

Several international bodies and countries, including the United Nations, the African Union and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, have denounced Israel's move as a violation of Somalia's sovereignty.

The development has further strained relations in the Horn of Africa, where competing geopolitical interests and the fallout from the Gaza war have increasingly intersected.