Madrid, Feb 5 (EFE).- The international community has overwhelmingly rejected a proposal by US President Donald Trump to “take control” of the Gaza Strip, permanently resettle its two million people elsewhere, and transform the Palestinian enclave into the “Riviera of the Middle East.”
“We have an opportunity to do something that could be phenomenal. And I don’t want to be cute. I don’t want to be a wise guy, but the Riviera of the Middle East—this could be something that could be so—this could be so magnificent,” Trump said Tuesday at a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“We’ll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site, leveling the site, and getting rid of the destroyed buildings.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio later echoed Trump’s vision in a post on X. “The United States stands ready to lead and Make Gaza Beautiful Again. Our pursuit is one of lasting peace in the region for all people.”
Hamas, Palestinian Authority Reject ‘Racist’ Plan
Hamas, the Islamist group that controls Gaza, was among the first to denounce the proposal, calling it “racist” and an attempt to “liquidate” the Palestinian cause.
“We consider it a recipe for creating chaos and tension in the region. Our people in the Gaza Strip will not allow these plans to pass,” Hamas spokesman Abdul Latif al-Qanou said in a statement.
He said the Palestinian people “stood firm for 15 months against the most powerful military machine and the most criminal army.”
Al-Qanou said the Palestinian’s resilience “frustrated attempts to displace them” and they would “remain attached to their land and will not accept this plan, regardless of the cost.”
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said Palestinian rights were non-negotiable and that no one but the Palestinian people could make decisions about their future.
“We will not allow the rights of our people, for which we have struggled for decades and made great sacrifices to achieve, to be infringed upon. These calls represent a serious violation of international law,” Abbas said in remarks reported by the official news agency Wafa.
Global Opposition, Calls for Two-State Solution
World leaders swiftly rebuffed Trump’s idea, reaffirming support for a two-state solution.
Australia reiterated its backing for an independent Palestinian state, while Saudi Arabia, a key regional player and stakeholder in Middle East diplomacy, maintained that it would not establish relations with Israel without Palestinian statehood.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan dismissed the plan as “unacceptable” and “bad,” emphasizing that the displacement of Palestinians was the root cause of the conflict. “The only solution is a two-state solution, with East Jerusalem as Palestine’s capital,” he said.
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelaty stressed the importance of reconstructing Gaza but rejected the idea of Palestinians being forced to leave. “Early recovery projects, debris removal, and humanitarian aid must proceed at an accelerated pace—without Palestinians abandoning their land,” he said.
China also rejected Trump’s plan. “We oppose the forced displacement of Gaza’s residents and urge all parties to accept a ceasefire and return to a political solution based on two states,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said.
Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares was among the first European leaders to react. “Gaza is the land of the Palestinian people; they must remain because Gaza is part of the future Palestinian state that Spain supports,” he reaffirmed.
Russia, which maintains strained relations with the US, refrained from outright criticism but noted that it had “taken note” of Trump’s remarks and the strong opposition from Egypt and Jordan. EFE
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