Dozens of MPs sign motion in parliament condemning Trump's Gaza proposal

The UK Parliament is putting pressure on Keir Starmer's government to explicitly oppose former US President Donald Trump's statements that the US will "own Gaza" and that Palestinians have no choice but to leave and cannot return. More than 30 parliamentarians from various parties have signed a motion urging the Labour government to take action.

The motion, proposed by Labour MP Richard Burgon, follows Foreign Secretary David Lammy's statement that Trump was correct in saying Gaza is "a wreck," while insisting that Palestinians must be able to "live and thrive" in Gaza. Notably, Lammy did not explicitly condemn Trump's remarks made during a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, drawing criticism from opposition politicians.

The parliamentary motion states: "This House rejects the proposals of the President of the United States, Donald Trump, concerning Gaza." It urges the government to "unequivocally reject" these proposals and to "take action against the forced displacement and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from Gaza." The motion also affirms that the forcible transfer of people in occupied territory is prohibited under international law, regardless of the motive.

Green Party MP Ellie Chowns noted earlier on Wednesday that forcibly displacing the people of Gaza would constitute "ethnic cleansing" and demanded that the UK government "condemn Trump's reckless words in the strongest possible terms." Independent MP Shaukat Adam called Trump's comments "absolutely appalling" and warned that they confirmed fears that "extremists" in Israel want to "ethnically cleanse Gaza."

During a press conference with a smiling Netanyahu on Tuesday, Trump startlingly stated: "I don't know how (Palestinians in Gaza) would want to stay there. That's a demolition site. That's a pure demolition site." As of August 2024, Israel has destroyed 80% of the buildings in Gaza, with observers noting that this is a deliberate policy designed to ensure that Gaza becomes uninhabitable for Palestinians. Trump continued: "If we can find the right land, or multiple pieces of land, and build some really nice locations on that land and put a lot of money into it, I think that would be so much better than going back to Gaza, which has been going through decades of death."