 "Trump's bid to clean up, own Gaza: How friends and foes reacted")
US President Donald Trump has announced a controversial plan to take control of the Gaza Strip, proposing the forced relocation of Palestinians from the besieged enclave and raising concerns about potential ethnic cleansing.
During a news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, Trump suggested that Palestinians would “love to leave” Gaza. He envisions a long-term US ownership of the area during its reconstruction, claiming it would bring jobs and economic prosperity.
Here are some key reactions from around the world:
Israel
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Tuesday that Trump’s plan for the US to take control over the Palestinian territory of the Gaza Strip could “change history.”
“It’s worth paying attention to this” idea and added that it’s “something that could change history,” said Netanyahu A=at a joint press conference at the White House.
US
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio late on Tuesday appeared to back President Donald Trump‘s plan for a US takeover of Gaza, saying the Palestinian enclave must be free from Islamist group Hamas.
“Gaza MUST BE FREE from Hamas. As @POTUS shared today, the United States stands ready to lead and Make Gaza Beautiful Again,” Rubio said on X. “Our pursuit is one of lasting peace in the region for all people.”
Hamas
Palestinian militant group on Wednesday condemned the proposal by Trump, saying it will fan the flames of Middle East violence.
Hamas said that the proposal “aiming for the United States to occupy the Gaza Strip” was “aggressive to our people and cause, won’t serve stability in the region and will only put oil on the fire”.
“Our Palestinian people… will not allow any state in the world to occupy our land or impose guardianship on our great Palestinian people who have offered rivers of blood to liberate our land from occupation and to establish our state with Jerusalem as its capital,” it said in a statement.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsEarlier, Hamas spokesman Abdel Latif al-Qanou, characterised Trump’s plan as a “racist stance”, aligned “with the Israeli extreme right’s position”.
Egypt
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty discussed with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa the importance of moving forward with recovery projects in Gaza without Palestinians leaving the Gaza Strip.
Saudi Arabian Foreign Ministry
“Saudi Arabia rejects any attempts to displace the Palestinians from their land. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has affirmed the kingdom’s position in ‘a clear and explicit manner’ that does not allow for any interpretation under any circumstances.”
UK
“We’ve always been clear in our belief that we must seek two states. We must see Palestinians able to live and prosper in their homelands, in Gaza, in the West Bank,” said British Foreign Minister David Lammy.
Palestinian Authority
President Mahmoud Abbas strongly rejected any plans to displace Palestinians from Gaza, saying “we will not allow any infringement of the rights of our people, which we have struggled for decades and made great sacrifices to achieve”.
“These calls represent a serious violation of international law,” he said. “Peace and stability will not be achieved in the region without establishing a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital on the borders of 1967, based on the two-state solution.”
United Nations
The head of the UN refugee agency voiced consternation on Wednesday at Trump’s shock proposal.
Filippo Grandi, the United Nations’ high commissioner for refugees, told AFP in an interview in Brussels it was not “clear” what the idea entailed, which made it difficult to comment on such a “sensitive issue”.
“It’s something very surprising, but we have to see what it means in concrete terms,” Grandi said.
Germany
The Gaza Strip “belongs to the Palestinians”, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said on Wednesday after Trump suggested that the US should take over the war-ravaged territory.
“The civilian population of Gaza must not be expelled and Gaza must not be permanently occupied or repopulated,” Baerbock said in a statement.
The forced displacement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip would be “unacceptable and contrary to international law”, Baerbock said.
“It would also lead to new suffering and new hatred,” she said.
“It is clear that Gaza - like the West Bank and east Jerusalem - belongs to the Palestinians.
“They form the basis for a future Palestinian state” and a two-state solution remained the “only” option for peace, Baerbock said.
France
“France reiterates its opposition to any forced displacement of the Palestinian population of Gaza, which would constitute a serious violation of international law, an attack on the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinians, but also a major obstacle to the two-state solution and a major destabilising factor for our close partners Egypt and Jordan as well as for the entire region,” said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Christophe Lemoine.
Spain
“I want to be very clear on this: Gaza is the land of Gazan Palestinians and they must stay in Gaza.
Gaza is part of the future Palestinian state Spain supports and has to coexist guaranteeing the Israeli state’s prosperity and safety,” said Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares
Russia
Russia believes a settlement in the Middle East is only possible on the basis of a two-state solution. “This is the thesis that is enshrined in the relevant UN Security Council resolution, this is the thesis that is shared by the overwhelming majority of countries involved in this problem. We proceed from it, we support it and believe that this is the only possible option,” said Kremlin Spokersperson Dmitry Peskov.
China
“China hopes all parties will take ceasefire and post-conflict governance as an opportunity to bring the Palestinian issue back on the right track of political settlement based on the two-state solution,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry in a statement.
With inputs from agencies
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