ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Iraqi foreign ministry on Thursday said it “strongly condemns” United States President Donald Trump's proposal for a US takeover of Gaza and a permanent resettlement of its population.
“The Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Iraq strongly condemns and denounces any calls or attempts intended to displace the Palestinian people from their land especially from the Gaza Strip, which is suffering from the ongoing aggression and human rights violations. The Ministry affirms that such calls represent a blatant violation of international law and the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people to their territory and homeland,” read a statement from the ministry.
“Iraq, with its constant and principled position rejects any plans intended to displace the Gaza Strip of its indigenous people, whether through forced displacement or through any other means. The Ministry considers that these calls constitutes a serious threat to the stability of the region and fuel the conflict,” it added.
Trump’s idea of turning Gaza into the “Riviera of the Middle East,” presented during a White House meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has been branded by many as the most daring idea ever by an American president.
Trump suggested two million Palestinians be relocated to other countries, including Egypt and Jordan, and provided with a “good, fresh, beautiful piece of land” to live on in order to make way for what he described as his “long-term ownership” of Gaza and redevelopment plan for the enclave.
The international response to Trump’s proposal has been swift and largely critical. Saudi Arabia was quick to push back on Wednesday, warning that it “would not establish diplomatic relations with Israel” unless “an independent Palestinian state” is established within “the 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital.”
