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.”

Rubio says Trump's proposal for Gaza was a ‘generous’ offer

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that President Donald Trump’s proposal to take “ownership” of Gaza and redevelop the area into “the Riviera of the Middle East” was a “generous” offer.

“It was not meant as a hostile move,” Rubio told journalists at a press conference while visiting Guatemala City. “It was meant as a, I think, a very generous move.”

He said it is “akin to a natural disaster” and people can’t live there because there are unexploded munitions, debris and rubble.

“In the interim, obviously people are going to have to live somewhere while you’re rebuilding it,” the top diplomat said.

Germany's president says Trump's proposal is unacceptable under international law

ANKARA, Turkey — German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said that proposals for the deportation of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip were causing grave concerns in the region and were unacceptable under international law.

“Proposals to remove or relocate the Palestinians from the Gaza Strip or in other words to drive them out ... generate deep concern in some people, even horror,” Steinmeier said Wednesday after talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Turkish capital.

Steinmeier added such proposals were “not only unacceptable under international law” but would not serve as a “serious basis for talks” between regional actors and the United States.

The German president, who arrived in Ankara following trips to Saudi Arabia and Jordan, also reiterated Berlin’s support for a two-state solution.

The Arab League slams Trump's plan to ‘take over’ the Gaza Strip

CAIRO — The Arab League joined a chorus of rejections on Wednesday of President Donald Trump’s plan to “take over” the Gaza Strip.

The 22-member regional grouping said in a statement that Trump’s proposal “represents a recipe for instability” that does not advance Palestinian statehood. It said it rejected the displacement of the Palestinians and that Gaza was an integral part of any future Palestinian state.

UK prime minister says Palestinians must be allowed to return to Gaza

LONDON — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says Palestinians must be allowed to return to their homes in Gaza.

Asked in the House of Commons about U.S. President Donald Trump’s suggestion Palestinians in Gaza could go to neighboring countries while the U.S. takes ownership of the territory, Starmer referred to images of “thousands of Palestinians walking through the rubble” to get back to what remains of their homes.

“They must be allowed home,” Starmer said.” They must be allowed to rebuild, and we should be with them in that rebuild, on the way to a two-state solution.”

Russia backs the creation of a Palestinian state

MOSCOW — The Kremlin reaffirmed on Wednesday that the creation of a Palestinian state is essential for the Middle East settlement.

Asked about U.S. President Donald Trump’s suggestion that displaced Palestinians in Gaza be permanently resettled outside the territory, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded that Moscow has taken notice of Trump’s comment. At the same time, he added that Jordan and Egypt rejected the idea.

Peskov said that “the Middle East settlement can only take place on a two-state basis.”

“We support it and believe that this is the only possible option,” he told reporters.

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.

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.