RECENTLY, US President Donald Trump’s stunning announcement that if the 2. 2 million Gazans don’t evacuate the Strip, the US could take over the Gaza Strip by dint of force, has triggered chaos, uncertainty and condemnation not only in the Middle East but also in world’s leading diplomatic quarters in Europe and Asia, including the United Nations simply because this development apparently being a part of Trump’s hybrid Middle Eastern tapestries intrinsically serve to be a lethal recipe for peace, diplomacy and international law. In his inauguration speech on January 20, Trump promised to be a unifier for peace rather than a promoter of war. And yet, President Trump’s Gaza plan appears to contradict his stated intentions.
Gaza’s ceasefire euphoria shortly evaporated as President Trump last week announced his new plan of forcefully taking control of Gaza. The world at large is stunned on this weird announcement, a reflection on Trump’s strategic drift in the Middle East, accompanying the complex interplay of regional politics and manifesting regional uncertainties. But the truth vindicates: Trump will have to face the repercussions of actions taken by Netanyahu regarding Gazans and international law.
Arguably, Trump’s hybrid Middle East tapestries entailed by ‘’the hard and soft power mix‘’ pose far-reaching repercussions of political and economic insecurity in the region. His approach to the region is highly transactional as it focuses on short-term gains rather than long- term stability. Further, his approach is expected to include assertive measures against Iran and strong support for Israel, which suggests a political derangement in the region. His close association with Netanyahu may lead to a further marginalization of the Palestinians and a disregard for international law and human rights. Trump’s thinking that Palestinians have no right of return to Gaza is a travesty of international law endorsing his intention to politically subjugate Gaza.
The Gaza Strip, under international law, is primarily linked to as an occupied territory. The International Court of Justice has recently affirmed that Israel’s administration over Gaza constitutes an illegal occupation. Displacement during such an occupation violates several principles of international humanitarian law, particularly those outlined in the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits collective punishment and the forcible transfer of protected persons from their homes. These actions are deemed unlawful as they not only disregard the rights of individuals under occupation but also contravene international legal obligations. UN Secretary General Antonio Gutress has warned that the forced displacement of Gazans will worsen the Gaza crisis.
Trump’s plan follows his earlier controversial actions and statements regarding Greenland and the Panama Canal, which have already raised eyebrows internationally. The Palestinian Authority (PA) was created to hold civil control in the West Bank enclaves and in the Gaza Strip. The Gaza Strip is partially is de jure under the Palestinian Authority and de facto under the administration of the Hamas government since 2007. Forced displacement of Gazans is indeed illegal under international law and must be considered a serious violation of international human rights law/international humanitarian law.
In this regard, ethnic cleansing, forced relocation of population amid mass evacuation are related to undermine the fundamentals of international law. Notably, the forced displacement of the Palestinians, including the 1948 Nakba and the ongoing displacement of the Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) is considered a serious violation of international law. The international community has repeatedly called for an end to these practices. The PA and the PLO have strongly rejected the plan.
In fact, Trump’s plan to get control over the Gaza poses several risks, including potential long-term conflict as it may exacerbate tensions between Israelis and Palestinians. The proposal has drawn significant international condemnation, with many viewing it as ethnic cleansing aimed at displacing Palestinians. Moreover, Arab nations, including Egypt, Jordan, KSA and the UAE, they have clearly rejected Trump’s plan. Prince Turki Al Faisal, a former Saudi Arabian diplomat rejects Trump’s demand of expelling Gazans from their own lands. Trump’s Gaza plan is making serious concern in the Arab League regionally and OIC internationally.
Moreover, Trump’s Gaza stratagem has been labelled by Hamas as a “recipe for generating chaos,” emphasizing that the people of Gaza will resist any attempts at displacement. On the other hand, President Trump’s recent comments about wanting to “take over” and conduct business in Gaza have sparked significant panic in Europe. UK, France, Germany and Spain have shown grave reservations. Trump’s statement did not go down well in Spain, where Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares made clear that for his government, “Gaza is the land of the Gazan Palestinians”, Albares told a press conference after an official event in Madrid, Europa Press reported Whereas, both China, Russia and Pakistan have shown grave reservations as they believe that the ultimate solution of the Mideast crisis only lies in two-state solution.
Needless to say, the world order has already come under significant strain following Netanyahu’s actions in Gaza. The Trump’s plan is good enough to prove how a rules-based international order can fall like a house of cards in Gaza. Also, global concerns are being mounted regarding President Trump’s current deal of arming an oppressor, Israel worth approximately $ 7.4 billion–a recipe for brewing regional instability while undermining US-Arab relations.
Nevertheless, the world is seriously concerned about President Trump’s unthoughtful Gaza plan, conceived by a US President, holding a great leverage globally. In contrast to his vow to become a peace unifier, his proposal appears to cater to Israel’s agenda of greater Israel, a false dawn of peace, potentially destabilizing existing support from the US allies in Europe and beyond. President Trump must realize that on the Palestinian-Israeli front and the Iran-US -Israel confrontation, peace can only be brokered via diplomacy, not through brinkmanship.
—The writer, based in Pakistan, an independent IR & International Law analyst, also an expert in Conflict and Peace Studies (with special focus on Palestine, Kashmir), is member of European Consortium of Political Research (ECPR), including the Washington Foreign Law Society/American Society of International Law.
(rizvipeaceresearcher@gmail.com)
