Trump under fire over 'just clean out Gaza' suggestion
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Former US President Donald Trump suggested on Saturday a controversial plan to "just clean out" Gaza through the mass expulsion of its population to neighboring Egypt and Jordan.
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Hamas fighters are deployed in central Gaza City ahead of the planned release of four Israeli female captives set to be handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza City on January 25, 2025. (AP)
The Palestinian Resistance movements Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad responded furiously on Sunday to US President Donald Trump's proposal to "clean out" Gaza as a shaky truce aimed at finally ending the war began its second week.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had no comment, but a far-right minister praised Trump's "great" suggestion.
Donald Trump suggested on Saturday a controversial plan to "just clean out" Gaza through the mass expulsion of its population to neighboring Egypt and Jordan, framing the proposal as a step toward "Middle East peace."
Labeling Gaza a "demolition site" in the aftermath of the Israeli genocide, Trump revealed he had discussed the idea with Jordan’s King Abdullah II and planned further talks with Egypt’s leadership.
"I'd like Egypt to take people. And I'd like Jordan to take people," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.
The Palestinian Presidency strongly rejected and condemned any plans or projects aimed at displacing the Palestinian people from the Gaza Strip, “which constitutes a blatant violation of the red lines we have consistently warned against.”
“We emphasize that the Palestinian people will never abandon their land or their holy sites, and we will not allow the repetition of the catastrophes (Nakba) of 1948 and 1967. Our people will remain steadfast and will not leave their homeland,” said the presidency in a statement.
The Presidency also expressed its gratitude to the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan for their firm and principled stances against the displacement of the Palestinian people from their homeland.
However, Bassem Naim, a member of Hamas' political bureau, asserted that Palestinians would "foil such projects," just as they have done with previous plots for displacement and alternate homelands throughout the decades.
The Islamic Jihad movement, which has fought alongside Hamas in Gaza, described Trump's proposal as "deplorable" and claimed it supported "war crimes and crimes against humanity by forcing our people to leave their land."
Ali Baraka, the head of Hamas' National Relations Department, strongly condemned Trump's proposal, calling it a "declaration of war" and vowing to disrupt the plans, the same way the group "thwarted Netanyahu's scheme to displace our people and eliminate the Resistance."
The Fatah Central Committee unequivocally reaffirmed its rejection of any attempts to displace Palestinians from their land, which the international community has consistently recognized as their rightful territory for establishing a state.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the Central Committee emphasized the importance of continued efforts by the US president to solidify and sustain the ceasefire, provide humanitarian assistance, ensure the full withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces, and enable the Palestinian Authority to fully assume its responsibilities in the Gaza Strip.
The committee underscored that achieving a lasting and just peace can only be realized by implementing the "two-state solution", ending the occupation, and establishing the Palestinian state, which would ultimately contribute to peace for all neighboring countries and the world.
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said, "Our rejection of the displacement of Palestinians is firm and will not change. Jordan is for Jordanians and Palestine is for Palestinians."
"Our priority is to ensure that Palestinians remain on their land," Safadi said.
Egypt underscores its continued support for resilience of Palestinian people
On the Egyptian position, Cairo reaffirmed Egypt's unwavering commitment to the principles and foundations of a political settlement for the Palestinian cause, emphasizing that it remains the central issue in the Middle East.
In a statement, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign pointed out that the delay in resolving this issue, ending the occupation, and restoring the Palestinian people's usurped rights is the root cause of instability in the region.
Cairo underscored its continued support for the resilience of the Palestinian people on their land and their steadfast adherence to their legitimate rights to their homeland, in line with principles of international law and international humanitarian law.
It also firmly rejected "any infringement on these inalienable rights, whether through settlement activities, land annexation, or the displacement of Palestinians from their land," including efforts to encourage or forcibly uproot Palestinians from their land, temporarily or permanently.
Such actions threaten stability, risk further conflict in the region, and undermine prospects for peace and coexistence among its peoples, the statement emphasized.
The Ministry called on the international community to take action toward the practical implementation of the "two-state solution," including the establishment of a Palestinian state on its entire national territory, ensuring the unity of Gaza and the West Bank, including East al-Quds, in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions and the borders of June 4, 1967.
MP Tayseer Matar, the Secretary-General of the Egyptian Parties Alliance, which consists of 42 political parties, announced the complete rejection of US President Donald Trump's statements.
Matar stressed that the Egyptian state's position on the Palestinian cause is firm in its rejection of its liquidation and of any attempts to expel the Palestinian people, stressing the position of the Egyptian state, which calls for resolving the Palestinian struggle through a “two-state solution”.
Matar categorically rejected Trump's statements and maintained that they are non-binding to the Egyptian state, stressing the importance of the Palestinian people's right to live in peace on their land, which is protected by international norms and covenants.
Furthermore, he warned of the dangers these plans pose to regional stability.
Egypt has previously warned against any "forced displacement" of Palestinians from Gaza into the Sinai desert, which Sisi said could jeopardize the "peace treaty" Egypt signed with "Israel" in 1979.
Palestinians and rights groups condemn Israeli ethnic cleansing in Gaza
It is worth noting that many Palestinian figures and international human rights organizations have repeatedly emphasized that the Israeli occupation is conducting an ethnic cleansing campaign to displace the people of the blockaded Strip.
The Gaza Government Media Office emphasized last October that these events are part of "the most dangerous American-Israeli occupation and displacement plan," describing it as "the largest and most dangerous scheme of the 21st century."
They also warned the international community and all international organizations that the Israeli occupation forces are engaging in "clear-cut acts of eradication, a war to eliminate civilians, and ethnic cleansing against the Palestinian people."
