ISTANBUL
Arab nations and organizations continued to express their firm rejection of US President Donald Trump’s plan to seize Gaza and displace Palestinians.
Egypt, Algeria, Iraq, Libya and the Palestinian group, Hamas, released statements Thursday and Friday.
It followed earlier rejections from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Oman and others along with several regional and international organizations including the Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council.
On Thursday, Trump claimed that Palestinians would have "better lives" under his plan, suggesting they would settle in "safer and more beautiful communities with modern homes." He said the US would collaborate with development teams to build "one of the greatest projects of its kind."
Earlier in the day, he claimed Palestinians would have “a chance to be happy, safe, and free” due to the relocation scheme he proposed.
He added that they “would have already been resettled in far safer and more beautiful communities, with new and modern homes, in the region.”
On Tuesday, Trump told a news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the US would “take over” Gaza and resettle Palestinians elsewhere under an extraordinary redevelopment plan that he said could turn the enclave into “the Riviera of the Middle East.”
Commenting on Trump’s plan, Egypt said it rejects any proposal “that aims to liquidate the Palestinian cause by uprooting the Palestinian people or displacing them from their historical land and seizing it, whether temporarily or permanently.”
Support for Palestine’s right to establish independent state
King Abdullah II of Jordan reiterated in a telephone call with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that Jordan opposes any attempts to annex land or displace Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank.
Kuwait's Foreign Ministry reaffirmed its steadfast support for Palestine’s right to establish an independent state, condemning Israeli settlement policies and the displacement of Palestinians.
Algeria condemned any plan to expel Gaza’s residents, warning that such schemes “undermine the core of the Palestinian national project.”
Iraq and Libya expressed their strong opposition to any proposals or attempts to forcibly displace Palestinians, calling on the international community to take a firm stand against these actions.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called Trump’s plan a violation of international law, asserting that Gaza is an integral part of Palestine and rejecting foreign decisions about the future of Palestinians.
Hamas also denounced Trump’s statements, with spokesperson Hazem Qassem calling for an urgent Arab summit to oppose the displacement project, warning that the US is essentially seeking to occupy Gaza, according to a presidency statement.
Tunisian President Kais Saied reaffirmed his country’s “firm stance against the displacement of Palestinians and its unwavering support for their right to establish an independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.”
Saudi Arabia reiterated its unwavering support for Palestinian statehood, while the United Arab Emirates also condemned the displacement efforts, calling for a just solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Call for ‘united, resolute’ stand
The UAE Foreign Ministry “categorically rejected any infringement on Palestinians' rights or attempts to displace them.”
The ministry called for a “serious political framework to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and establish a sovereign Palestinian state.”
Oman’s Foreign Ministry reaffirmed its “firm opposition to any plans aimed at displacing Palestinians from Gaza and occupied territories.”
It urged “the international community to uphold Palestinian rights and pursue a just, comprehensive solution to the conflict.”
Yemen’s Foreign Ministry declared its “consistent opposition to any attempts to uproot Palestinians from their homeland under any justification.”
Lebanon’s Foreign Ministry stressed that any effort to seize Palestinian land and expel its people by force amounts to an attempt to liquidize the Palestinian cause.
It reaffirmed Lebanon’s position, citing international resolutions that uphold the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people
The Arab League and Gulf Cooperation Council both reaffirmed their commitment to the Palestinian cause, rejecting any plans for the forced relocation of Palestinians.
Arab Parliament Speaker Mohammad Al-Yamahi denounced Trump’s statements, describing them as “counterproductive to peace efforts and a recipe for further instability in the region.
Egypt’s Al-Azhar Islamic authority dismissed Trump’s plan as “a delusional scheme by those who fail to grasp historical realities.”
The institution urged Arab and Muslim nations to “take a united and resolute stand against these blatant violations.”
The Houthi movement in Yemen also condemned Trump’s statements as a blatant attack on Palestinian rights and an insult to the Arab and Muslim world.
A ceasefire agreement took effect in Gaza on Jan. 19, halting Israel’s genocidal war, which has killed nearly 47,600 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and left the enclave in ruins.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November last year for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
