Middle East latest: Palestinians say Trump's proposal for Gaza violates international law

Palestinians, their allies and other nations reacted strongly to President Donald Trump's proposal that the United States "take over" the Gaza Strip and permanently resettle its residents.

Trump’s suggestion came at a White House news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who smiled several times as the president detailed a plan to build new settlements for Palestinians outside the Gaza Strip, and for the U.S. to take “ownership” in redeveloping the war-torn territory into “the Riviera of the Middle East.”

“The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it too,” Trump said. “We’ll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site, level the site, and get rid of the destroyed buildings, level it out, create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs.”

His remarks drew swift opposition from allies and adversaries alike.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called for the United Nations to “protect the Palestinian people and their inalienable rights,” saying that what Trump wanted to do would be “a serious violation of international law.”

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Here's the latest:

Germany says Gaza, West Bank and east Jerusalem belong to Palestinians

BERLIN — The foreign minister of Germany, a staunch ally of Israel, said “it is clear that Gaza — along with the West Bank and east Jerusalem — belongs to the Palestinians. They form the starting point for a future state of Palestine.”

“A displacement of the Palestinian civilian population from Gaza would not just be unacceptable and against international law,” Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said in a statement. “This would also lead to new suffering and new hatred.”

She said that there must not be a solution “over the heads of the Palestinians” and a negotiated two-state solution remains the only one.

Baerbock, who didn’t mention Trump or refer explicitly to his latest proposal, said everyone agrees “that Gaza must be rebuilt as soon as possible,” and that that will take “massive international commitment,” to which Europe is prepared to contribute. She said there’s also agreement that “the terrorists of Hamas” must in the future play no role in Gaza.

She said that all efforts must now be directed toward implementing the second stage of the ceasefire agreement and securing the release of the remaining hostages.

Some Israelis praise Trump's plan for Gaza

JERUSALEM — Some Israelis praised U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal to transfer the Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and rebuild it as a tourist destination.

“As someone who served eight months in Gaza in the last reserve, I think it is absolutely necessary to agree with Trump’s plan to evacuate all the Arabs from there and build ... anything other than what is there today,” said Yaniv Cohen, a reservist soldier.

Israeli leaders also welcomed the plan, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu telling Trump at the White House: “You say things others refuse to say. And after the jaws drop, people scratch their heads and they say, ‘You know he’s right.’”

Bezalel Smotrich, Israel’s far-right finance minister in charge of settlement approval, thanked Trump for his comments.

Benny Gantz, a centrist politician and former general long seen as a more moderate alternative to Netanyahu, said Trump's proposal showed "creative, original and intriguing thinking," but that it should be studied alongside other war goals, "prioritizing the return of all the hostages."

There has not yet been a large-scale poll in Israel that would gauge a wider reaction to Trump’s comments, and many may find the plan extreme. Most Israelis are focused on bringing home the hostages remaining in Gaza and normalizing relations with Saudi Arabia and other countries — both of which appear less likely if Trump presses ahead with his proposal.

Robby Davidson, another Jerusalem resident, said he “loved” the plan because it would guarantee there was “no danger to us there in the south.”

A Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, triggered the 15-month war in Gaza, and many former residents are reluctant to return to the border area because they distrust the ability of Israel’s military to protect them from future attacks.

France warns against any displacement of Palestinians

PARIS — France firmly denounced any forced displacement of Gaza’s Palestinians, warning that it would cause upheaval across the Mideast.

In response to Trump’s comments, the French Foreign Minister said Tuesday that displacing Gaza’s Palestinians ″would constitute a grave violation of international law, an attack on the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinians, a major threat to the two-state solution and a factor of major destabilization for our close partners Egypt and Jordan as well as the entire region.″

It said France will mobilize for a two-state solution under the Palestinian Authority, and that ″Hamas should be disarmed and have no part in the governance of this territory.″

France also remains strongly opposed to Israeli settlements and ″any unilateral annexation of the West Bank,″ it said.

Palestinian Islamic Jihad group denounces Trump's ‘racist’ comments

CAIRO — The Palestinian Islamic Jihad group has denounced Trump’s “racist comments,” vowing to fight the U.S. president's plans in Gaza.

The group said in a statement that Israel’s bombing campaign had failed to force Palestinians to leave Gaza, and that Trump’s “recent comments won’t succeed in transferring them.”

The group vowed to fight against any plans to transfer the Palestinians out of their territories.

“Our Palestinian people always have the resistance option, which they have practiced for more than a century,” it said.

Egyptian and Palestinian officials call to rebuild Gaza without forcing out Palestinians

CAIRO — Egypt's foreign minister and the Palestinian prime minister on Wednesday called to rebuild Gaza without forcing out its Palestinians residents.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohamad Mustafa provided “an integrated vision” to remove the rubble and rebuild Gaza in cooperation with international groups, according to an Egyptian Foreign Ministry statement after Mustafa met with Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty in Cairo.

The statement did not address Trump’s remarks directly but said both sides called to accelerate rebuilding and the delivery of aid “without moving the Palestinians out of the Gaza Strip.”

Turkish foreign minister says Trump's Gaza comments are ‘unacceptable’

ANKARA, Turkey — Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said President Donald Trump’s comments on the Gaza Strip were “unacceptable.”

Fidan, in an interview with the state-run Anadolu Agency on Wednesday, said the past displacement of Palestinians from their lands and the settlement of Israelis in those areas was the root cause of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

“The issue of deportations from Gaza is not something that either the region or we would accept. Even thinking about it, in my opinion, is wrong and absurd,” he said.

Fidan added there is a general consensus for a two-state solution, with East Jerusalem as the capital of a sovereign Palestinian state.

Fidan also reiterated his concern that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could resume attacks on Gaza following the release of all Israeli hostages held by Hamas and questioned how effective countries involved in maintaining the ceasefire would be.

“We need to see what kind of stance or sanctions the guarantor countries might take. Among the countries guaranteeing the ceasefire, the only one that can exert significant pressure on Israel is the United States,” Fidan said.

China says it opposes the forced relocation of people in Gaza

BEIJING — China opposes the forced relocation of people in Gaza, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Wednesday in Beijing when asked about Trump’s comments.

“China has always believed that Palestinian rule is the basic principle of post-war governance in Gaza,” said spokesperson Lin Jian.

He reiterated Beijing’s longstanding support of a two-state solution in resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

US House Speaker praises Trump's remarks as taking ‘bold action’

WASHINGTON — U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, praised Trump’s remarks as taking a “bold action in hopes of achieving lasting peace in Gaza.”

“We are hopeful this brings much needed stability and security to the region,” he wrote on X.

Houthi leader says Trump's Gaza plan represents ‘American arrogance’

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — An official with Yemen’s Houthi rebels has criticized President Donald Trump’s comments on the Gaza Strip.

Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a Houthi leader, wrote on the social platform X that Trump’s remarks represented “American arrogance” that will subsume all if it is met with “submission from the Arabs.”

“If Egypt or Jordan or both decide to challenge America, Yemen will stand with all its strength by its side, to the furthest extent and without red lines,” he added.

The Houthis launched attacks on Israel and commercial shipping running through the Red Sea corridor during the Israel-Hamas war. Its attacks have stopped with the ceasefire in the war, but transits through the Suez Canal, crucial to Egypt’s economy, halved during its campaign.

Rubio backs Trump's comments on the Gaza Strip

WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has backed President Donald Trump’s comments on the Gaza Strip.

“Gaza MUST BE FREE from Hamas," Rubio wrote on the social platform X.

“The United States stands ready to lead and Make Gaza Beautiful Again,” Rubio wrote in a play on Trump’s “Make America Great Again” campaign slogan. “Our pursuit is one of lasting peace in the region for all people.”

However, the comments by Trump drew immediate criticism from Saudi Arabia and others in the Mideast, which long has advocated for the Palestinians to have an independent state of their own in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, with east Jerusalem as its capital.