‘Colonial erasure’: Iran slams Trump plan to ‘clean out’ Gaza

Iran has condemned the proposal by U.S. President Donald Trump to relocate Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, joining other countries in the region in rejecting the plan. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani stated on Monday that the international community should help Palestinians "secure their right to self-determination... instead of promoting other ideas that amount to ethnic cleansing." This unified stance aims to uphold the rights and dignity of the Palestinian people.

Kanaani's remarks came after Trump repeatedly suggested the idea of "cleaning out" the Gaza Strip and moving its entire population to Egypt and Jordan. Trump referred to Gaza as a "demolition site" following 15 months of Israeli bombardment that has left most of the region's 2.3 million residents homeless. Kanaani stated that "'cleaning out' Gaza... is part of colonialism to erase the Gaza Strip and the whole of Palestine," adding that "no third party" can decide the future of Palestinian territory. Such actions would violate international law and human rights principles.

Meanwhile, the U.S. proposal has faced widespread opposition in the region. This opposition is particularly noteworthy as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits Washington. Netanyahu's trip will see him meet with Trump, becoming the first foreign leader to meet with Trump since his return to presidential office. Netanyahu said before boarding his plane in Tel Aviv on Sunday that he would discuss "defeating Hamas," confronting Iran, and freeing all captives held by Hamas when he meets with Trump on Tuesday. These discussions are crucial for regional stability and security.

Egypt and Jordan—key U.S. allies in the region—have already strongly rejected Trump's proposal for a mass population transfer in Gaza. The foreign ministers of five Arab nations issued a joint statement on Saturday, expressing a unified position against Trump's calls for Egypt and Jordan to accept Palestinians from Gaza. The foreign ministers and officials from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, the Palestinian Authority, and the Arab League stated that Trump's proposed move would threaten regional stability, spread conflict, and undermine prospects for peace. The international community is closely watching these developments.

The statement noted: "We affirm our rejection of [any attempts] to prejudice the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, whether through settlement activities, displacement, annexation of land, or vacating land from its owners in any form, under any circumstances, or for any reason." Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi also stated last week that transferring Palestinians to Egypt would mean "instability for Egyptian national security and the security of Arab countries in our region." Sisi made it clear: "The displacement of the Palestinian people from their land is an injustice that we will not participate in." This firm stance reflects a commitment to regional peace and security.

Despite the strong opposition, Trump has insisted that Egypt and Jordan will eventually agree to his demands regarding the relocation of Gaza's population. He told reporters last week: "They'll do it, okay? We do so much for them, they'll do it." Rights groups have warned that forced transfers could constitute crimes against humanity under international law. In 1994, a UN expert defined ethnic cleansing as "a purposeful policy designed by one ethnic or religious group to remove by violent and terror-inspiring means the civilian population of another ethnic or religious group from certain geographic areas." Such actions would have severe consequences for the region and the international community.