World Reaction to Trump’s “Take Over”

Source Credit: AL JAZEERA

After Palestinians are forced to leave the besieged enclave, US President Donald Trump has unveiled a startling plan to seize control of the Gaza Strip, sparking concerns that his proposal will support an ethnic cleansing effort. During a news conference with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, Trump stated that Palestinians would “love to leave” Gaza, suggesting that the US would assume long-term ownership of the Strip while it is rebuilt and redeveloped as the “Riviera of the Middle East.”

International Reactions

Hamas

Senior Hamas Official – Sami Abu Zuhri
“Trump’s remarks about his desire to control Gaza are ridiculous and absurd, and any ideas of this kind are capable of igniting the region. We consider them a recipe for generating chaos and tension in the region because the people of Gaza will not allow such plans to pass.”
Senior Hamas Official – Izzat al-Risheq
“These statements reflect confusion and deep ignorance about Palestine and the region. Gaza is certainly not a common land and it is not a property that can be bought and sold. American bias towards Israel and against our Palestinian people and against their just rights continues.”

Palestine Liberation Organization

Secretary-General Hussein al-Sheikh

“The Palestinian leadership affirms its firm position that the two‑state solution, in accordance with international legitimacy and international law, is the guarantee of security, stability and peace.”

Palestinian Authority

President Mahmoud Abbas

“We will not allow any infringement of the rights of our people, which we have struggled for decades and made great sacrifices to achieve. These calls represent a serious violation of international law. Peace and stability will not be achieved in the region without establishing a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital on the borders of 1967, based on the two‑state solution.”

Palestinian Islamic Jihad

A spokesperson for Palestinian Islamic Jihad stated:

“Trump’s positions and plans are a dangerous escalation that threaten Arab and regional national security, especially in Egypt and Jordan, which the US administration wants to put in confrontation with the Palestinian people and their rights.”

Palestine’s UN Envoy

Riyad Mansour, Leader of the Palestinian Delegation to the United Nations

“For those who want to send the Palestinian people to a ‘nice place’, allow them to go back to their original homes in what is now Israel. The Palestinian people want to rebuild Gaza because this is where we belong.”

Israel

Former National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir

“Encouraging people from Gaza to migrate from the enclave is the only correct strategy at the end of the war in Gaza.”
He urged Prime Minister Netanyahu to adopt that policy “immediately.”

Egypt

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty
Discussed Trump’s plan with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa, emphasizing the importance of moving forward with recovery projects in Gaza without forcing Palestinians to leave the territory.

Saudi Arabia

The Saudi Ministry stated that it would not normalize ties with Israel without the creation of a Palestinian state. It emphasized:

“Saudi Arabia also reiterates its previously announced unequivocal rejection of any infringement on the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, whether through Israeli settlement policies, the annexation of Palestinian lands, or attempts to displace the Palestinian people from their land.”

Jordan

Jordan’s Royal Court reported that His Majesty King Abdullah II stressed the need to stop Israeli settlement expansion and strongly rejected any attempts to annex land or displace the Palestinians.

Iran

A senior Iranian official said:

“Iran does not agree with any displacement of Palestinians and has communicated this through various channels.”

United States

US Senator Chris Murphy (Democrat) on X:
“He’s totally lost it. A US invasion of Gaza would lead to the slaughter of thousands of US troops and decades of war in the Middle East. It’s like a bad, sick joke.”
US Senator Chris Van Hollen (Democrat) stated:
“Trump’s proposal to push two million Palestinians out of Gaza and take ‘ownership’ by force, if necessary, is simply ethnic cleansing by another name. This declaration will give ammunition to Iran and other adversaries while undermining our Arab partners in the region. Congress must stand up to this dangerous and reckless scheme.”
US Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (Palestinian-American) declared:
“Palestinians aren’t going anywhere. This president can only spew this fanatical bulls*** because of bipartisan support in Congress for funding genocide and ethnic cleansing. It’s time for my two‑state solution colleagues to speak up.”
CAIR (Council on American-Islamic Relations) said:
“Gaza belongs to the Palestinian people, not the United States, and President Trump’s call to expel Palestinians from their land is an absolute non-starter. If the Palestinian people were ever somehow forcibly expelled from Gaza, this crime against humanity would spark widespread conflict, put the final nail in the coffin of international law, and destroy what remains of our nation’s international image and standing.”

Russia

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov
“There are Israeli plans to take full control of the occupied West Bank and attempts to displace Palestinians from the Gaza Strip. Practicing a policy of collective punishment is a method that Russia rejects.”
Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov
Added that a settlement in the Middle East is only possible on the basis of a two‑state solution, which is enshrined in the relevant UN Security Council resolution.

China

The Chinese Foreign Ministry stated that it opposes the forced transfer of the people of Gaza and hopes all parties will use the post-conflict period as an opportunity to bring the Palestinian issue back to a political settlement based on the two‑state solution.

Turkiye

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Trump’s comments are “unacceptable” and warned that excluding Palestinians from the equation would lead to more conflict. He mentioned that Turkiye would review its measures against Israel—cutting off trade and recalling its ambassador—if the killing of Palestinians does not stop and conditions do not change.

Germany

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock declared:

“The Gaza Strip belongs to the Palestinian people, and their expulsion would be unacceptable and contrary to international law. It would also lead to new suffering and new hatred… There must be no solution over the heads of the Palestinians.”

France

French Foreign Ministry Spokesman Christophe Lemoine stated:

“France reiterates its opposition to any forced displacement of the Palestinian population of Gaza, which would constitute a serious violation of international law, an attack on the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinians, but also a major obstacle to the two‑state solution and a major destabilizing factor for our close partners Egypt and Jordan, as well as for the entire region.”
He added that the future of Gaza should be in the context of a future Palestinian state, not controlled by a third country.

Spain

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares emphasized:

“I want to be very clear on this: Gaza is the land of Gazan Palestinians and they must stay in Gaza. Gaza is part of the future Palestinian state that Spain supports, and it has to coexist with guarantees for the Israeli state’s prosperity and safety.”

Ireland

Irish Foreign Minister Simon Harris remarked:

“It’s very clear the direction of travel here: We need a two‑state solution and the people of Palestine and the people of Israel both have a right to live in states safely side by side. Any idea of displacing the people of Gaza anywhere else would be in clear contradiction with the UN Security Council resolutions.”

United Kingdom

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:
“They [Palestinians] must be allowed home, they must be allowed to rebuild, and we should be with them in that rebuild on the way to a two‑state solution.”
UK Foreign Minister David Lammy added:
“We’ve always been clear in our belief that we must see two states. We must see Palestinians live and prosper in their homelands in Gaza and the West Bank.”

Brazil

Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva stated:

“Trump’s proposal makes no sense. Where would Palestinians live? This is something incomprehensible to any human being. Palestinians are the ones who need to take care of Gaza.”

Australia

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government continues to support a two‑state solution in which both Israelis and Palestinians live in peace and security. He noted:

“We’ve supported a ceasefire, we’ve supported hostages being released and we’ve supported aid getting into Gaza.”
However, he refrained from directly commenting on Trump’s speech, adding, “I’m not going to have a running commentary on statements by the president of the United States.”

United Nations & Human Rights

UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese on the occupied Palestinian territory described Trump’s plan as “unlawful, immoral and completely irresponsible,” warning:
“What he proposes is … nonsense. It will make the regional crisis even worse. It’s incitement to commit forced displacement, which is an international crime. The international community is made up of 193 states, and this is the time to give the US what it has been looking for: Isolation.”
Amnesty International (Paul O’Brien, Executive Director, Amnesty International US) stated:
“Removing all Palestinians from Gaza is tantamount to destroying them as a people. Gaza is their home. Gaza’s death and destruction is a result of the government of Israel killing civilians by the thousands, often with US bombs.”