Arab League chief highlights need for Palestinian reconciliation in talks with Fatah delegation

WASHINGTON: By proposing to “take over” Gaza, US President Donald Trump has not only stunned the world but also departed from long-standing US policy in supporting a Palestinian state.
The president, known for provocative statements, spoke Tuesday of permanently displacing Palestinians from the war-devastated Gaza Strip, expressing his desire to transform the Palestinian territory into “the Riviera of the Middle East.”
His comments sparked worldwide outcry Wednesday, particularly in the Arab world, as they appeared to challenge Palestinians’ right to self-determination, with critics denouncing it as potential “ethnic cleansing.”
The Republican billionaire, who portrays himself as a pragmatist with a transactional approach to foreign policy, hasn’t ruled out sending troops to the region.
The White House moved quickly Wednesday to temper his remarks. Spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt clarified that the United States would not “finance” reconstruction in Gaza and had not “committed” to sending troops.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking from Guatemala, defended Trump’s intentions: “It was meant as, I think, a very generous move — the offer to rebuild and to be in charge of the rebuilding.”
He also said that Trump only wants Palestinians to leave Gaza temporarily while the territory is reconstructed.
It remained unclear whether the president floated his proposal as a negotiating tactic or a distraction, as Israel and Hamas prepare to negotiate the second phase of the ceasefire agreement that took effect January 19.
This second phase aims to secure the release of remaining hostages and achieve a definitive end to the war triggered by Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
“Trump’s remarks about relocating Palestinians would all but guarantee a broader regional conflict if he seriously pursues the idea,” said Sina Toossi of the Center for International Policy, noting that it “would shatter long-standing US policy on a two-state solution in which a Palestinian state includes Gaza.”
“In the short term, a key question is whether Trump will push (Israeli leader Benjamin) Netanyahu to fully implement the ceasefire deal in Gaza, including its critical second phase, or if he will instead allow Netanyahu and his hawkish cabinet to restart the war,” Toossi added.
The events that unfolded Tuesday during the Israeli prime minister’s Washington visit were remarkable on multiple levels.
Trump’s advisers, Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and national security adviser Mike Waltz, initially questioned the feasibility of Gaza reconstruction, noting that the Palestinian territory would be uninhabitable for years.
Trump, who had already caused controversy 10 days earlier with his suggestion to “just clean out” Gaza, claimed Palestinians “would love” to leave the territory, which he described as a “demolition site.”
He later received a beaming Netanyahu at the White House, emphasizing the need to relocate Palestinians before unexpectedly proposing to take “possession” of Palestinian territory to make it a “beautiful place.”
Netanyahu, who opposes the creation of a Palestinian state, praised Trump as someone who “thinks outside the box.”
In making these statements, Trump, who rarely explicitly addresses the prospect of a Palestinian state, broke with decades of Western foreign policy — supporting a two-state solution where Israel and Palestine coexist.
“It is very hard to know how seriously to take Trump’s comments, though they certainly seem to undercut the idea that his administration supports a two-state solution,” said Brian Finucane, a US foreign policy expert at the International Crisis Group in Washington.
But he added it didn’t seem like Palestinians would voluntarily leave Gaza, nor would countries in the region would agree to such a plan.

NEW YORK: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday issued a strongly worded warning against “any form of ethnic cleansing” of Palestinians, while also underscoring the importance of adhering “to the bedrock of international law.”

His comments came after US President Donald Trump’s announcement of a proposed takeover of Gaza under which the entire population of the enclave would be relocated to other countries.

“The US will take over the Gaza Strip,” Trump said in a White House press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“We’ll own it ... We have an opportunity to do something that could be phenomenal ... the Riviera of the Middle East.”

Trump added: “ We should go to other countries of interest with humanitarian hearts, and there are many of them that want to do this, and build various domains that will ultimately be occupied by the 1.8 million Palestinians living in Gaza, ending the death and destruction and, frankly, bad luck.”

However, the UN secretary-general warned that “in the search for solutions, we must not make the problem worse.”

Guterres said that it is “vital to stay true to the bedrock of international law (and) essential to avoid any form of ethnic cleansing.”

Speaking in New York at the opening of the 2025 session of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, he called for a renewed commitment to ensuring Palestinians can “simply live as human beings in their own land.”

He added: “We have seen the realization of those rights steadily slip farther out of reach.

“We have seen a chilling, systematic dehumanization and demonization of an entire people.”

The UN chief described “the catalogue of destruction and unspeakable horrors” as a result of 15 months of war on Gaza, in which nearly 50,000 people have been killed, 70 percent of them women and children.

He also condemned the destruction of civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, and water facilities.

“The overwhelming majority of the entire population have faced displacement after displacement, hunger, and disease,” said Guterres.

“Children, out of school for over a year. A generation left homeless and traumatized.”

He said: “I welcome the ceasefire and hostage release deal. I thank the mediators — Egypt, Qatar, and the US — for the continued efforts to ensure implementation.

“Now is the time to be crystal clear about objectives going forward.”

While acknowledging the recent truce and freeing of captives held by Hamas, Guterres urged continued efforts for lasting peace.

“We must keep pushing for a permanent ceasefire and the release of all hostages without delay. We cannot go back to more death and destruction,” he said.

The UN is working tirelessly to provide humanitarian aid, he added, emphasizing the need for rapid, safe, and sustained access to those in need.

Guterres called for the international community to support the essential work of the UN Relief and Works Agency, which provides services to Palestinian refugees.

He reiterated the UN’s commitment to the two-state solution as the only viable path to a lasting peace.

“A viable, sovereign Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security with Israel is the only sustainable solution for Middle East stability,” he said.

The path to this solution, Guterres said, requires tangible, irreversible progress toward ending the occupation and establishing an independent Palestinian state with Gaza as an integral part.

The UN chief also expressed deep concern about rising violence in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, particularly acts of aggression by Israeli settlers.

“As affirmed by the International Court of Justice, Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territory must end,” said Guterres.

He called for a halt to the violence and for those responsible to be held accountable in accordance with international law.

Additionally, he emphasized the importance of preserving the unity and integrity of occupied Palestinian territory, including efforts to rebuild Gaza after its devastation.

“International law must be respected, and accountability ensured,” Guterres said.

He also stressed the importance of supporting the Palestinian Authority to foster unity and governance, which are essential for a viable future for Palestinians.

“We must work toward preserving the unity, contiguity, and integrity of the occupied Palestinian territory and the recovery and reconstruction of Gaza.

“A strong and unified Palestinian governance is crucial.

“The international community must support the Palestinian Authority to this end,” he said.