CONTRARY to his electoral pledges to end all wars, President Donald Trump has unfolded his plan to occupy Gaza. This proposition will give a new but profound dimension to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The announcement of the plan during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, who was visibly delighted, effectively means colonization of the Strip, its virtual annexation with Israel as per the notion of greater Israel and ethnic cleansing of Gazans, which constitutes a loathsome crime under the international law.
The assertion of the American President ‘to take over the Gaza Strip and resettle Palestinians in other countries’ has come as a big shock to the entire civilized world as it ruins the prospects for a peaceful settlement of the conflict in the Middle East and the idea of a two-state solution that is seen as the only viable solution to the longstanding crisis in the region. Ironically, the sinister plan has been made public at a time when a ceasefire agreement was progressing well after 15-month of Palestinian genocide by the Jewish State and different plans were being envisaged by world leaders and important capitals for rebuilding of the war-ravaged territory and rehabilitation of almost entire population of the area.
Amnesty International, in a post on ‘X’, has given voice to the aspirations of the world community by warning that “any plan to forcibly deport Palestinians outside the occupied territory against their will is a war crime, and when committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack on the civilian population, it would constitute a crime against humanity”. Trump did not explain his idea, but a White House spokesperson claimed that the President has not committed to putting US troops on the ground in the Gaza Strip as part of his proposal for a US takeover of the Palestinian enclave, adding he believes the United States needs to be involved in the rebuilding of Gaza “to ensure stability in the region.” However, this diplomatic statement was negated by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth who said the Pentagon was prepared for all options when it comes to Gaza. Trump claimed his pro-Jewish plan had the backing from the highest leadership in the Middle-East but prompt and strong reactions from the countries of the region belie his statement.
What an irony that the American President wants to expel two million Palestinians from their land, expects Arab states to accommodate them and even foot the bill for reconstruction of the region devastated by the Jewish State. Saudi Arabia, the support of which is a prerequisite for the success of any plan, categorically rejected any violation of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, including attempts to forcibly displace them, annex Palestinian land or continue illegal settlement expansion. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has consistently asserted that any Saudi-Israeli normalization hinges on the creation of a viable Palestinian State within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Gazans criticized US President Donald Trump’s plan to take over the Gaza Strip and resettle Palestinians elsewhere, vowing never to leave the ruins of their homes in the coastal enclave that Trump wants to turn into a “Riviera of the Middle East”. These are not hollow words, as Israel miserably failed to crush the will of Palestinians despite brutal use of force in the last fifteen months as most of those forced to leave have returned to their land after the ceasefire.
There are also verifiable reports that the Israeli military has been unable to crush Palestinian resistance groups and despite inflicting losses on Hamas, the group has reportedly recruited as many fighters as it lost and repaired much of its infrastructure. The US takeover of Gaza could also mean a permanent mechanism to control and bully the entire Middle-East, and the nefarious plan could never materialize as it will be a direct threat to the sovereignty of all regional countries.
