Trump Rejects Palestinians' Right of Return in Controversial Gaza Plan
During a joint press conference with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on February 4 in Washington, Trump revealed his intentions to take control of Gaza, saying that he plans to transform Gaza into a “Riviera of the Middle East.”
Later in an interview with Fox News' Bret Baier, Trump said, "I would own it," referring to Gaza.
He suggested displacing Palestinians to as many as six different sites outside the enclave. When asked if Palestinians would retain the right to return, Trump responded, "No."
“No, they wouldn't, because they're going to have much better housing. In other words, I'm talking about building a permanent place for them because if they have to return now, it’ll be years before you could ever – it’s not habitable.”
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Trump's remarks directly oppose United Nations General Assembly Resolution 194, which upholds the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homeland. His relocation plan has drawn sharp condemnation from Palestinian leaders and regional powers.
Khalil al-Hayya, deputy head of the Hamas Political Bureau, criticized the proposal during an event in Tehran, declaring it "doomed to fail" and vowing to resist such plans as they had in the past.
Hamas also issued a statement denouncing Trump's approach, stating, "Addressing the Palestinian issue with the mentality of a real estate dealer is a recipe for failure."
Senior Hamas official Izzat al-Rishq labeled Trump's comments "absurd," emphasizing that "Gaza is not a property to be sold and bought. It is an integral part of our occupied Palestinian land."
Trump further elaborated on his plans aboard Air Force One, expressing a commitment to "buying and owning Gaza" while suggesting that other Middle Eastern nations might participate in rebuilding efforts under US supervision.
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The proposal has been met with strong rejection from Washington's European allies, as well as from regional countries including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt.
The controversial comes as large swaths of Gaza have been destroyed in the 15-month-long Israeli genocidal war on the besieged territory. Supported by the US, the Israeli military killed more than 48,000 Palestinians in Gaza, mostly women and children, internally displacing almost all of the 2.3 million population.
Failing to achieve its objectives in Gaza, the Israeli regime accepted a ceasefire last month; however, breaches of the deal by the Israeli side are reported.
Source: Agencies
