Trump and Netanyahu opened the flat world of stealing land in Gaza

United States President Donald Trump suggested on Tuesday, the permanent resettlement of Gaza Palestinians in neighboring countries, classifying the enclave as a “demolition site”. The statement took place during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the White House.

Trump reiterated his appeal for Jordan, Egypt and other Arab countries to welcome the inhabitants of Gaza, stating that there would be no alternative for Palestinians but to leave the region, devastated by almost 16 months of conflict between Israel and Hamas militants.

This time, he argued that the resettlement is permanent, expanding previous suggestions rejected by Arab leaders.

“If we could find the right piece of land, or several pieces of land, and build some really pleasant places with a lot of money in the area, that’s right. I think that would be much better than coming back to Gaza, ”said Trump before the meeting with Netanyahu. Later, alongside Israeli Prime Minister, he reaffirmed the idea of ​​definitive resettlement: “They won’t want to go back to Gaza.”

The president did not present details about how the proposal could be implemented. The suggestion of permanent displacement of Gaza Palestinians is aligned with positions of the far right Israeli and diverges from the politics of former President Joe Biden, who has positioned himself against mass displacement of the Palestinian population.

The statement generated reactions in the region. Sami Abu Zuhri, senior authority of Hamas, classified the proposal as “expulsion from his land” and said it will not be accepted by the local population. Human rights organizations also condemned the idea, comparing it to ethnic cleaning. Forced displacement of the Gaza population could be considered a violation of international law and find a strong opposition from Washington Western Allies.

The meeting between Trump and Netanyahu, the first of the US president with a foreign leader since the beginning of his second term on January 20, had as its agenda the future of the ceasefire in Gaza, strategies against Iran and a possible agreement of normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

The meeting also represented a new chapter in the relationship between the two countries, after a period of tensions between Netanyahu and the Biden government about the conduct of war in Gaza.

With information from Reuters