Trump's Gaza plan sparks global outcry and condemnation
On Tuesday, Donald Trump stated that the United States is ready to take responsibility for the Gaza Strip by removing unexploded ordnance and debris, constructing homes, and fostering economic development. However, critics contend that his stance not only endorses ethnic cleansing in Gaza but also advocates for seizing control of the territory by force, which contradicts the United Nations Charter.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived at the White House on Tuesday. After one-on-one talks with Donald Trump, both leaders met with journalists. - The US will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it too. We’ll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site, level the site and get rid of the destroyed buildings - said the U.S. President.
He assured that the United States wants to help rebuild Gaza, which is in the interest of all Arab countries because "everyone wants peace."
- I think it's something that could change history - echoed Benjamin Netanyahu.
The fallout from Trump's words
The President's words resonated around the world. The Palestinian ambassador to the UN, Riyad Mansour, immediately responded, calling on world leaders to respect the expectations of Palestinians, who "love" living in the Gaza Strip.
"We consider them a recipe for generating chaos and tension in the region because the people of Gaza will not allow such plans to pass," said a representative of Hamas in a statement sent to the AFP agency.
On Wednesday morning, in a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Saudi Arabia expressed its unwavering and constant support for the Palestinian state. This contradicts Trump's claim that Saudi Arabia does not insist on the creation of a Palestinian state.
Calls for ethnic cleansing?
The Al Jazeera online portal quotes an Australian senator of Aboriginal descent. Lidia Thorpe called Trump's comments about "taking over" Gaza "a blatant call for ethnic cleansing and colonisation."
"The recent comments made by Trump and Netanyahu on the US ‘taking over’ the Gaza strip and forcibly displacing Palestinians to neighbouring countries is a blatant call for ethnic cleansing and colonisation" - Thorpe wrote in a series of posts on X.
Similarly, U.S. Representative Rashida Tlaib, a Democrat, commented. "This president is openly calling for ethnic cleansing while sitting next to a genocidal war criminal" - she wrote on social media.
"He’s totally lost it. A U.S. invasion of Gaza would lead to the slaughter of thousands of U.S. troops and decades of war in the Middle East. It’s like a bad, sick joke" - echoed her party colleague, Senator Chris Murphy.
In 1994, UN experts defined ethnic cleansing as "a purposeful policy designed by one ethnic or religious group to remove by violent and terror-inspiring means the civilian population of another ethnic or religious group from certain geographic areas."
"Insane plan"
Abed Ayoub, Executive Director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), said that Trump's proposal is "frightening". Ayoub added that the U.S. President's comments are "insane" but should not be overlooked. He also emphasised that initially, it was Israel that planned to ethnically cleanse Gaza.
- It would go against all norms and international law. This isn’t something that would be permitted to happen - said Ayoub to Al Jazeera. - But at this point, you’ve got to ask yourself, if you look at the past year and a half: How much does the international community, including Israel, really care about international law and norms? - he added.
Nancy Okail, President of the Centre for International Policy, stated that Trump's proposal resembles ideas from "the darkest chapters of history".
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) criticised Trump's plan, saying that if the U.S. President truly seeks peace in the region, he must work on ending the oppression of Palestinians. - Gaza belongs to the Palestinian people, not the United States, and President Trump’s call to displace Palestinians from their land either temporarily or permanently is an absolute non-starter - said CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad in a statement.
Trump announced that he intends to visit Israel, Gaza, and Saudi Arabia soon. According to reports, he is also expected to meet with King Abdullah of Jordan at the White House next week.
