‘Strictly prohibited’: UN officials denounce Trump’s Gaza plan as unlawful

United Nations officials have condemned the idea of expelling residents from the Gaza Strip, noting that it is strictly prohibited under international law. This comes after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the United States would take over Palestinian territory and resettle local war-torn residents. UN Secretary-General António Guterres is set to warn on Wednesday against any "ethnic cleansing" of the approximately 2.3 million people in the Gaza Strip.

Secretary-General Guterres' spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, told reporters: "The Secretary-General will point out that in seeking solutions, we must never make the problem worse. It is crucial that we adhere to the cornerstones of international law. Any form of ethnic cleansing must be avoided. And of course, he will reiterate the two-state solution." UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk responded explicitly to Trump's remarks, which have sparked strong protests worldwide. "Any forcible transfer or deportation of people from occupied territory is strictly prohibited," Türk stated.

Trump announced the plan at a press conference in Washington, D.C., with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reiterating his previous suggestions to remove Palestinians from the war-ravaged enclave. Experts have stated that this would constitute ethnic cleansing. At the press conference on Tuesday, the President said that the U.S. should "take over" Gaza and launch a massive rebuilding effort, turning the area into the "Middle East's Riviera." He also called for the population of Gaza to be moved to "other countries that have humanitarian care."

His statement caused shock and audible gasps among those present. Since then, Palestinian people and leaders, major Middle Eastern powers, and governments including Spain, France, Russia, China, and the Republic of Ireland have voiced their opposition. Neighboring countries have also repeatedly rejected the possibility of transferring large numbers of Palestinians from Gaza, which has been devastated in the 15-month war between Hamas and Israel. At least 47,552 Gazans have died in the fighting.

Türk stated in his statement that the international community's focus should now be on reaching an agreement on the second phase of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, rather than Trump's statement. Trump has repeatedly claimed credit for brokering the deal, which went into effect on January 19, the day before he left office. But Israel and Hamas have only agreed to the first 42-day phase of the agreement, which is still underway. That phase includes a pause in fighting and the release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the eventual release of 33 hostages held in Gaza.

The second phase would implement a more thorough end to the war and the release of the remaining hostages, but Netanyahu faces pressure from within his government to resume fighting. The third phase aims to eventually rebuild Gaza, although no "day after" plan has emerged. Türk stated: "It is crucial that we move towards the next phase of the ceasefire, releasing all hostages and arbitrarily detained prisoners, ending the war and rebuilding Gaza, while fully respecting international humanitarian law and international human rights law."

Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, also condemned Trump's plan as "illegal, immoral and utterly irresponsible" at a press conference in Copenhagen, the Danish capital, on Wednesday. "This is incitement to commit forcible displacement, which is an international crime," Albanese said. International law prohibits the occupation of sovereign territory without the consent of the controlling government.

Rights experts say that because the UN's highest court has ruled that Israel is illegally occupying Palestinian territory, Israeli authorities have no right to transfer control of Gaza to a foreign power. Analysts also point out that as an occupying power, Israel is prohibited from permanently removing Palestinians from the enclave. Albanese warned that if the U.S. president continues to pursue this plan, "it will further exacerbate the regional crisis." She called on world leaders to take a stand. "The international community is made up of 193 states, and now is the time to give the U.S. what it has been looking for: isolation," she said.