Trump's Gaza plan will be seen as flying in face of international law

U.S. President Trump began describing the Gaza Strip as a wasteland ten days ago, calling for "cleaning out the whole place." Initially, it was unclear whether these remarks were merely off-the-cuff comments. He also suggested that the area should be completely rebuilt and repurposed.

But on the eve of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's visit to the U.S., and during the Oval Office address and press conference before their meeting, Trump made it clear that he was serious about the proposals. These proposals constitute a complete reversal of the U.S.'s established position on the Israeli-Palestinian issue, unprecedented in recent conflict history, and would be seen as a blatant violation of international law. The international community has expressed significant concerns over the potential ramifications.

Beyond how the average person on the ground views this statement, it could also have a significant impact on the phased ceasefire and hostage release process at this critical moment. Trump and his officials have packaged his call for the permanent "resettlement" of all Palestinians out of the Gaza Strip as a humanitarian gesture, claiming that Palestinians have no choice since Gaza has become a "wasteland." This framing attempts to justify a drastic measure under the guise of compassion.

Under international law, any attempt to forcibly transfer a population is strictly prohibited. Palestine, as well as Arab countries, view this as a clear proposal aimed at expelling them and carrying out ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. Consequently, Arab leaders have clearly rejected his idea, which he has been raising with increasing frequency over the past ten days, that Egypt and Jordan could "receive" Palestinians from Gaza. Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, the Palestinian Authority, and the Arab League said in a statement that such a move could "threaten the stability of the region, risk expanding the conflict, and undermine the prospects for peace and coexistence among the people of the region." The stability of the region is paramount and these actions are seen as detrimental to that goal.

For a long time, expelling Palestinians from the occupied territories and expanding Jewish settlements on them has been the desire of the extreme nationalist far-right in Israel. Since the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, these groups (whose leaders have been part of Netanyahu's coalition) have been demanding an indefinite continuation of the war against Hamas and vowing to eventually rebuild Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip. They continue to issue calls and oppose the current ceasefire and hostage release agreement. These groups feel emboldened by the current political climate and are pushing their agenda aggressively.

At a White House press conference with the Israeli Prime Minister, Trump went even further than his recent increasing calls to "resettle" Palestinians from Gaza to Egypt and Jordan, stating that the U.S. would take over the territory and rebuild it. When asked if Palestinians would be allowed to return, he said that "people from all over the world" would live there, calling it an "internationalized, incredible place," before adding "including Palestinians." His Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, earlier that day summed up much of the tone surrounding the proposal, saying that Trump is "a guy who understands real estate." Trump said it would be the "Riviera of the Middle East." When asked if U.S. troops would be involved in taking over Gaza, Mr. Trump said "We'll do what we have to do." The vision he paints is one of a completely transformed region.

His proposal constitutes the most radical shift in the U.S.'s position on the territorial issue since the founding of Israel in 1948 and the 1967 war. The 1967 war marked the beginning of Israel's military occupation of land, including the Gaza Strip. Gaza was already inhabited by Palestinians who had fled or were forced to leave their homes in the wars surrounding the founding of Israel. They and their descendants still make up the vast majority of Gaza's population today. Trump's proposal, if implemented, would involve forcibly transferring that population (now over 2 million people) to the Arab world or even further afield, to be, as Trump said, "permanently resettled." This displacement would have a devastating impact on the lives of millions.

These proposals would eliminate the possibility of a future two-state solution in any traditional sense and would be flatly rejected by Palestinians and the Arab world as an expulsion plan. Much of Netanyahu's political base, as well as Israel's extreme nationalist settler movement, would support President Trump's remarks as a means of achieving what Netanyahu has said is to prevent "Gaza from posing a threat to Israel." For ordinary Palestinians, this would constitute an act of massive collective punishment. The future of the region hangs in the balance as these proposals are considered.