President Donald Trump’s proposal to resettle Palestinians out of Gaza upset a Middle East still shaken by the Israel-Hamas war.
| Photo Credit: AP
President Donald Trump’s proposal to resettle Palestinians out of Gaza upset a Middle East still shaken by the Israel-Hamas war.
The pan-Arab broadcaster Al Jazeera, based in Qatar which has been a key negotiator for the ceasefire holding in the war, called Mr. Trump’s comments a “shock announcement.”
Hamas said it rejects Mr. Trump’s suggestion that Gaza residents should leave the territory.
“Instead of holding the Zionist occupation accountable for the crime of genocide and displacement, it is being rewarded, not punished,” Hamas said in a statement. “We reject Mr. Trump’s statements in which he said that the residents of the Gaza Strip have no choice but to leave, and we consider them a recipe for creating chaos and tension in the region.”
The reaction came swiftly in the Mideast from Mr. Trump’s suggestion of the U.S. taking over the Gaza Strip. In Saudi Arabia, its Foreign Ministry issued a sharply worded statement early Wednesday (February 5, 2025) that their long call for an independent Palestinian state was a “firm, steadfast and unwavering position.”
The statement noted Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the country’s de facto ruler, has said that “Saudi Arabia will not stop its tireless work towards the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital, and that the kingdom will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without that.” Saudi Arabia has been in negotiations with the U.S. over a deal to diplomatically recognize Israel in exchange for a security pact and other terms.
“The kingdom of Saudi Arabia also stresses what it had previously announced regarding its absolute rejection of infringement on the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, whether through Israeli settlement policies, annexation of Palestinian lands or efforts to displace the Palestinian people from their land,” the statement added.
“The duty of the international community today is to work to alleviate the severe human suffering endured by the Palestinian people, who will remain committed to their land and will not budge from it.” It added: “This firm position is not subject to negotiation or outbidding.” The kingdom has supported the Palestinians having an independent state comprised of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, with east Jerusalem as their capital. It’s a stance the wider Mideast holds on the conflict.
Published – February 05, 2025 11:49 am IST
