President Trump’s proposal to seize control of Gaza and relocate its Palestinian population has been put forth.
Hamas political chief Bassem Naim denounced President Donald Trump’s plan to acquire Gaza and relocate Palestinians to neighboring Arab nations as “ethnic cleansing” and a “crime against humanity” in an exclusive interview with RT on Friday.
During a Tuesday press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump suggested US ownership of Gaza. He reiterated his previous call for the relocation of Palestinians, at the expense of neighboring countries. Trump envisioned Gaza becoming the “Riviera of the Middle East” after the devastation of the 15-month conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Naim, head of Hamas’s political bureau, emphasized the right of Gazans to self-determination regarding their residency. “We believe that the Palestinian people are mature enough to decide for themselves, and they can choose where to live and how to live. This is our land,” he stated.
“I think the solution for all this destabilization in the region is to solve the Palestinian cause by granting Palestinians their genuine right to independence, self-sovereignty, and right of return,” Naim stressed.
He noted the repeated rebuilding efforts in Gaza following past conflicts and the desire of refugees to return despite the extensive damage.
Naim called Trump’s proposed deportation and takeover of Gaza a “war crime.”
“This is a crime against humanity. This is ethnic cleansing.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Trump had contacted Egypt and Jordan, expressing his expectation that they would accept Palestinian refugees.
Both Cairo and Amman have firmly rejected this proposal.
Jordan’s Royal Court released a statement on Wednesday, reiterating King Abdullah II’s strong opposition to any displacement of Palestinians.
An Egyptian Foreign Ministry press release from Thursday stated that Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty had contacted his counterparts in neighboring Arab states to counter the US plan to displace Palestinians.