Breathe
By Cristina Gutiérrez
Last Tuesday, February 4, President Donald Trump declared that the United States should take control of Gaza and permanently displace the entire Palestinian population of the devastated enclave by transferring its more than two million inhabitants to neighboring countries such as Egypt and Jordan. Trump affirmed that the United States will take charge of the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip and will develop it economically to turn it into the "Riviera of the Middle East", as if it were one more of the real estate projects that characterized the beginning of his career. The president indicated that the people residing in Gaza have "lived a miserable existence" so they should leave their land, presenting this serious threat as an opportunity. He also said that the relocation of Gazans should be financed by the rich countries of the region to allow them to "live in comfort and peace".
As expected, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has applauded Trump's proposal for the Palestinians to leave the Gaza Strip, calling it "an extraordinary idea." Netanyahu called the plan "remarkable" and President Trump "Israel's best friend."
In contrast, Trump's proposal has provoked outrage in the Middle East and most Western countries, allies of the United States, have strongly rejected the proposal. The UN has stated that any forced population displacement is strictly prohibited by international law and constitutes a war crime. For its part, Amnesty International stated that any plan to forcibly deport Palestinians against their will constitutes a crime against humanity.
As implausible as Trump's proposal to expel the Palestinians from Gaza and turn it into a huge resort on the shores of the Mediterranean may seem, the idea is not entirely original. This plan has been around for some time and in May 2024 the Israeli government called it "Gaza 2035", a project based on the ethnic cleansing of its original population that would transform the Gaza Strip into an industrial city of skyscrapers, solar plants and oil rigs similar to Singapore or Abu Dhabi. Netanyahu's euphoria at Trump's recent statements shows that, with his proposal, the US president would be realizing the long-cherished Israeli dream of controlling Gaza, expelling its population and eventually annexing it as a territory of Israel or, failing that, as Trump intends, of the United States.
Israel's 15-month war in Gaza has had a devastating impact on the Palestinian territory. The intense bombing campaign and ground invasion in the Gaza Strip from October 7, 2023 until the beginning of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement left more than 47,000 Palestinians dead, mostly women and children. It is estimated that more than 90% of residential units in Gaza have been damaged and 60% of hospitals have been destroyed. More than 50 million tons of rubble have accumulated due to the destruction and could take up to 20 years to clear. There is no doubt that, regardless of whether the next stages of the ceasefire agreement are respected, the recovery of Gaza will be long and painful. However, with all its shortages and rubble, Gaza belongs to the Palestinians and no one in their right mind should consider it otherwise.
Forced displacement is ethnic cleansing at its finest and a war crime under international law. How far can the expansionist ambitions of a megalomaniac go? The United States has supported the Israeli genocide in Gaza from the beginning with millions of dollars in armaments and with its veto of all UN Security Council resolutions seeking a cease-fire by 2025. That in itself is serious. Proposing ethnic cleansing as a viable solution, in addition to being illegal, is beyond reasonable.
Gaza is not a piece of land for sale to be developed for real estate purposes. Gaza is part of the identity and ancestral home of more than two million Palestinians who cannot be arbitrarily evacuated and relocated to neighboring countries like cattle. Someone would have to tell Mr. Trump that human lives are not bargaining chips or pieces that you can move on a chess board according to your whim and convenience. Ambition has its limits and this is one that they cannot be allowed to cross. The international community has to act to prevent this irrational ethnic cleansing project from being carried out. Otherwise, they will be complicit in a war crime that, beyond its legal and ethical implications, would jeopardize the already fragile stability of the region and unfortunately when we realize the repercussions there will be no turning back.
*Degree in International Trade from Tecnológico de Monterrey. Experience in the areas of logistics and foreign trade. Writes on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The opinions expressed are the responsibility of the authors and are absolutely independent of the position and editorial line of the company. Opinion 51.
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