Trump’s shocking Gaza takeover plan sparks global outrage

Dubai: US President Donald Trump’s proposal for the United States to seize control of Gaza and expel its population has been met with swift and overwhelming rejection from Palestinians, Middle Eastern leaders and global powers.

The UAE affirmed its commitment to support regional peace and stability, and its historic and steadfast position to safeguard the rights of Palestinians.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) stressed its categorical rejection of any infringement on the Palestinians’ unalienable rights, and any attempts of displacement, and reaffirmed the importance of halting any settlement activities which threaten regional stability and undermine the opportunities for peace and co-existence.

The Ministry reiterated its calls on the international community, the United Nations, and the UN Security Council to fulfill their responsibilities to end illegal practices in contravention of international law.

It underscored the importance of preventing the expansion of the scale of conflict in the region, highlighting that the priority following the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip must focus on eliminating extremism, tensions, violence and providing protection for all civilians, as well as facilitating the urgent, safe, and sustainable delivery of humanitarian aid to the strip.

Saudi Arabia slammed the idea as an “infringement on Palestinian rights,” while the Arab League declared it a “blatant violation of international law” and a “recipe for instability.”

Jordan’s King Abdullah II rejected “any attempts” to take control of the Palestinian territories and displace its people.

The monarch, in a meeting with Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, urged efforts “to stop settlement activities and reject any attempts to annex lands and displace Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, stressing the need to establish the Palestinians on their land”, a statement said.

The UN human rights chief warned that any forcible population transfer would be strictly prohibited under international law.

“It is crucial that we move towards the next phase of the ceasefire, to release all hostages and arbitrarily detained prisoners, end the war and reconstruct Gaza, with full respect for international humanitarian law and international human rights law,” Turk said.

“The suffering of people in the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel has been unbearable. Palestinians and Israelis need peace and security, on the basis of full dignity and equality.”

Turk, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, said international law was “very clear”.

“The right to self-determination is a fundamental principle of international law and must be protected by all states, as the International Court of Justice recently underlined afresh,” he said.

“Any forcible transfer in or deportation of people from occupied territory is strictly prohibited.”

Saudi Arabia also reiterated that it will not establish diplomatic ties with Israel unless an independent Palestinian state is recognised.

“Saudi Arabia will continue its relentless efforts to establish a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital,” its foreign ministry declared on X (formerly Twitter).

Trump’s remarks, made alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a White House press confer-ence, sparked a furious backlash.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, as well as leaders from Egypt, Turkey, Britain, France, Germany, and China, forcefully denounced the plan.

Trump claimed his proposal had support from “the highest leadership” in the Middle East but provided no details on how the forced removal of over two million Palestinians would be executed.

He suggested the US could “take over” Gaza, clear unexploded bombs and rubble, and turn the war-ravaged strip into the “Riviera of the Middle East.”

“The US will take over the Gaza Strip. We’ll own it,” Trump declared. “We will dismantle all dangerous weapons and make it unbelievable.”

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas dismissed Trump’s proposal outright, stating that “legitimate Palestinian rights are not negotiable” and calling the idea a “serious violation” of international law.

It is not the first time that Trump has suggested Palestinians should move from Gaza. In recent days, he has cited Egypt and Jordan as possible destinations, but people from the territory have said they want to stay.

“Trump thinks Gaza is a pile of garbage - absolutely not,” said 34-year-old Hatem Azzam, a resident of the territory told AFP new agency.

For Palestinians, any attempts to force them out of Gaza would evoke dark memories of what the Arab world calls the “Nakba”, or catastrophe — the mass displacement of Palestinians during Israel’s creation in 1948.