Trump says his Gaza plan denies right of return for Palestinians

At a joint press conference on February 4, Trump, who was hosting the Israeli regime’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington, DC, first revealed that he aimed to take over Gaza, possibly through intervention by US troops, and rebuild it.

Trump said in the first half of an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier on Sunday that when he takes the helm in Gaza he will build “beautiful communities” in it, designing and building the “Riviera” of West Asia.

In the second half broadcast on Monday, Trump said he would “own” the enclave.

“I would own it,” he said, adding that there could be as many as six different sites for Palestinians to live outside of the Gaza Strip.

When he was asked by Baier whether the Palestinians would have the right to return to Gaza, Trump replied, “No.”

“No, they wouldn't, because they're going to have much better housing. In other words, I'm talking about building a permanent place for them because if they have to return now, it’ll be years before you could ever – it’s not habitable.”

Trump's remark is contrary to United Nations General Assembly Resolution 194, which defines principles for reaching a final “peace” settlement that includes the Palestinian refugees’ “right to return to their homeland.”

In the meantime, Trump's plan to relocate the Gazans has been receiving widespread criticism.
Washington’s European allies, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt have all rejected Trump’s plot, reiterating calls for the so-called two-state solution.
However, the resistance movement Hamas has decided to stick with the slogan of Martyr Ismail Haniyeh. Until his martyrdom in 2024, Haniyeh had believed in the non-recognition of the Israeli regime.