In a shocking proposal that has stunned the international community, U.S. President Donald Trump suggested permanently expelling the entire population of Gaza, over 2 million Palestinians, from their homeland. The plan, casually mentioned by Trump during a White House press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has drawn swift condemnation from world leaders who say it would constitute a massive war crime and crime against humanity.
Trump attempted to portray the forced displacement as an act of benevolence, citing the destruction in Gaza, much of it from Israeli airstrikes. But critics point out that responding to the devastation by ethnically cleansing the Palestinian population would be an outrageous violation of international law that democratic leaders should never countenance.
Undermining Peace Deal Hopes
The proposal has dashed remaining hopes that the Trump administration could broker an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement. Palestinian leaders say any negotiations are impossible when the U.S. president is openly proposing the mass expulsion of Palestinians from their land.
Trump’s plan, of course, begs the question: why not Israel? More than 80% of the Palestinians in Gaza are refugees, their families having been forced from their homes in what is now Israel during its 1948 war of independence.
Kenneth Roth, Human Rights Watch
The scheme would also face major practical obstacles. Both Jordan and Egypt, where Trump suggested relocating the Gaza population, immediately rejected the idea. Jordan already has a majority population of Palestinian descent, a sensitive demographic issue, while Egypt fears the economic burden and security risks.
Staggering Costs and Legal Dangers
Reconstruction costs for Gaza are estimated in the billions of dollars. As a matter of international justice and reparations, experts say Israel should foot the bill, since the destruction largely stems from its military operations. But Israel is unlikely to pay for rebuilding a Gaza that no longer contains Palestinians.
Moreover, Israeli leaders who carried out such a mass expulsion would likely face war crimes charges at the International Criminal Court. The act would also violate a recent International Court of Justice ruling upholding Palestinian rights.
If Trump wants to be disruptive, as is his wont, there are more productive ways to proceed… If Trump were to insist on a [Palestinian] state, there would be few left in the United States, Israel’s primary benefactor, to whom the Israeli prime minister could turn to second his refusal.
Kenneth Roth, Human Rights Watch
Rather than entertaining an illegal mass expulsion, experts say focus must remain on achieving a durable two-state solution, with an independent State of Palestine alongside Israel. This is a goal long endorsed by the international community as the only viable path to a just and lasting peace. But Trump’s reckless proposal pushes that dream further out of reach and risks a severe escalation of the conflict.
