Necva Taştan Sevinç
29 January 2025•Update: 29 January 2025
ISTANBUL
France has strongly opposed US President Donald Trump’s proposal to “clean out” Gaza by relocating Palestinians and reiterated its support for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).
“The first concerns a statement from the American administration regarding forced population transfers to other countries in the region. This is obviously absolutely out of the question,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told the parliament on Tuesday, referring to President Donald Trump's Gaza remarks.
Earlier on Saturday, Trump referred to Gaza as a "demolition site," urging to "clean out" the Palestinian enclave and relocate Palestinians to Jordan and Egypt.
The proposal, which has been rejected by the Palestinian government and several other states, came a week after a cease-fire agreement in Gaza went into effect on Jan.19, suspending Israel's genocidal war, which has killed over 47,000 Palestinians, the majority of whom are women and children, and injured over 111,000 since Oct. 7, 2023.
Barrot emphasized during his debate in the National Assembly that such a move would be a "definitive obstacle" to the two-state solution, which France has long supported.
He also pointed out that the countries in question "have themselves expressed their refusal to accept displaced populations."
Barrot reaffirmed France’s commitment to UNRWA, which he described as essential.
"The UNRWA deserves to be able to continue its indispensable activity, which has no possible substitute," he said, highlighting France’s continued financial support.
"We have continued to support it financially, as I announced in December, a €20 million subsidy to enable the agency to carry out its missions," he added.
Barrot also criticized two Israeli laws set to take effect from tomorrow.
"We deplore the two Israeli laws that are due to come into force in the coming days and call on the Israeli government to renounce their implementation," he stated.
Israel’s Knesset (parliament) voted in October to ban UNRWA’s operations in areas under Israeli occupation, alleging that the UN agency’s employees were involved in a Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023—a charge UNRWA denies.
The ban, which comes amid the ongoing hostilities in Gaza, has raised alarms about disruptions to critical aid for millions of Palestinian refugees. UN officials have repeatedly warned that such measures could exacerbate the already dire humanitarian crisis.
UNRWA, which has operated since 1949, provides essential services such as education and healthcare to Palestinian refugees across the West Bank, Gaza, Lebanon, Jordan, and Syria. Despite political and financial challenges, the agency has remained a lifeline for vulnerable communities.
