United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged US President Donald Trump to steer clear of “ethnic cleansing” in Gaza, following the US leader’s suggestion that Palestinians should resettle in other regions while the United States oversees the war-affected area.
“As we seek solutions, we should not exacerbate the problem. It is crucial to adhere to the fundamental principles of international law and to prevent any form of ethnic cleansing,” Mr. Guterres stated during a scheduled meeting with a UN committee.
“We must reaffirm the two-state solution,” he asserted.
Although Mr. Guterres did not directly reference Mr. Trump or his Gaza proposition during his speech to the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, his spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, indicated earlier that it would be a “fair assumption” to view Mr. Guterres’ remarks as a reaction to the President’s comments.
The United Nations has consistently supported the idea of two states coexisting peacefully within secure and recognized borders.
Palestinians aspire to establish a state in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza, territories that were captured by Israel during the 1967 conflict with neighboring Arab nations.
“Achieving lasting peace necessitates significant, irreversible progress towards the two-state solution, an end to the occupation, and the creation of an independent Palestinian state, which includes Gaza,” Mr. Guterres emphasized.
“A viable, sovereign Palestinian state existing peacefully and securely alongside Israel is the only sustainable pathway to stability in the Middle East,” he stated.
The European Union acknowledged President Trump’s statements but reaffirmed that the two-state solution remains the “only path” to peace.
“Gaza is an essential component of a future Palestinian state,” a spokesperson remarked.
An elderly woman sits on a chair amidst the debris of a building in Jabalia camp.
Despite the devastation across large parts of northern Gaza, hundreds of thousands of residents have returned since late January, under a fragile truce that has temporarily ceased over 15 months of conflict between Israel and the Hamas group.
The northern region of Gaza, including Gaza City, has faced severe destruction due to regular clashes throughout the war, particularly since Israel initiated a substantial offensive in the area in October.
Recently, Mr. Trump suggested that a reconstructed Gaza could become “the Riviera of the Middle East.”
Tánaiste emphasizes need for two-state solution for Palestine.
The Tánaiste has stated that a two-state solution is essential for the peoples of Palestine and Israel, voicing concerns regarding Mr. Trump’s proposal to “take over” Gaza.
While entering Government Buildings, Simon Harris remarked that any notion of relocating Gazans would contradict UN Security Council resolutions.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs added, “Both the people of Palestine and Israel possess the right to exist in separate states, and that must be our primary focus.”
During a crucial meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu concerning the ceasefire with Hamas, Mr. Trump reiterated his call for Palestinians to relocate from Gaza to neighboring countries like Egypt and Jordan, despite outright rejections from both the Palestinians and those nations.
“The US will take control of the Gaza Strip, and we will take care of it as well. We’ll own it,” Mr. Trump stated at a joint press conference with Mr. Netanyahu.
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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has also “strongly rejected” the proposal.
“President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian leadership have conveyed their firm rejection of calls to seize the Gaza Strip and displace Palestinians beyond their homeland,” a statement from Mr. Abbas’s office noted, adding that “legitimate Palestinian rights are not subject to negotiation.”
The Arab League asserted that President Trump’s shocking suggestion would breach international law and exacerbate instability.
While expressing confidence in the United States’ and its president’s commitment to achieving a just peace in the region, the Arab League’s secretariat stated that President Trump’s proposal advances “the displacement of Palestinians, which is rejected on both Arab and international levels.”
The 22-member regional organization described such a move as “a recipe for instability” and a “violation of international law” following over 15 months of devastating conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The United Arab Emirates’ foreign ministry categorically opposes any attempts to displace Palestinians and deny them their “inalienable rights.”
Read More: Trump vows to take over Gaza and create the ‘Riviera of the Middle East’. Breathtakingly a gross understatement for Trump’s Gaza plan.
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Palestinians will not be forcibly removed – Ambassador
The Palestinian Ambassador to Ireland has asserted that Palestinians in Gaza are determined to remain in the territory and will not be forcibly displaced.
In an interview on RTÉ’s Six One, Dr. Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid stated, “This message has been conveyed by over 300,000 individuals who returned from the southern area of Gaza to the northern part after the ceasefire, despite uncertainty about finding shelter. This serves as a powerful message to the world that the Palestinian people will never relinquish their rights, and no one can uproot them from their homeland.”
Palestinians shop at a makeshift street market amid the rubble in Jabalia camp.
She emphasized that Gaza remains part of Palestine, as recognized internationally, along with the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Dr. Abdalmajid remarked that, despite speculation that President Trump may have made his comments as part of a negotiating tactic, such an approach is inappropriate regarding national and human rights issues.
“When you hold such a significant position as the President of the United States, these issues cannot be treated as mere business agreements or plans. There are international laws, nations, and human rights that must be respected,” she stated.
Dr. Abdalmajid encouraged the international community to support their proclamations regarding the two-state solution with concrete actions.
