As we go to press, US President Donald Trump has unveiled a proposal as brazen as it is chilling: the forced relocation of Palestinians from Gaza to neighbouring countries like Egypt and Jordan. This plan, reportedly discussed with Jordan’s King Abdullah II, aligns seamlessly with the vision of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government—a vision long accused of seeking to erase Palestinians from their land through systematic ethnic cleansing.
“You’re talking about a million and a half people, and we just clean out that whole thing. You know, over the centuries, it’s had many, many conflicts. And I don’t know, something has to happen,” Trump remarked, dismissing the complexities of forced displacement with a disturbing nonchalance.
He described Gaza as “a demolition site,” stating, “Almost everything is demolished, and people are dying there. So, I’d rather get involved with some of the Arab nations and build housing at a different location where they can maybe live in peace for a change.” His suggestion that the move “could be temporary or could be long-term” ominously leaves the door open for permanent erasure.
Critics have condemned this proposal as a prelude to repopulating Gaza with Israeli settlers, a move that would erase Palestinian claims to the territory entirely.
As Gaza reels from devastation, attention turns to the occupied West Bank, where what many describe as ethnic cleansing is already underway. Just hours after Trump lifted US sanctions on far-right Israeli settler groups—internationally condemned for violating international law and inciting violence against Palestinians—Israel launched a sweeping military offensive in the West Bank.
Trump’s actions have emboldened those who advocate for annexation and displacement. His nominee for US ambassador to the UN, Elise Stefanik, has openly endorsed the views of Israel’s far-right leaders. During her confirmation hearing, Sen. Chris Van Hollen questioned her about the extremist positions of Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and former National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, both of whom claim Israel has a “biblical right” to the entire West Bank. Her response was unequivocal: “Yes!”
This unwavering support from the US Administration has further legitimized far-right Israeli narratives, fuelling actions on the ground that are systematically displacing Palestinians and dismantling hopes for a two-state solution.
The violence in the West Bank has escalated dramatically in recent months, with Palestinian communities reporting a dramatic rise in settler attacks on homes, vehicles, and farmland, often carried out with the backing of the Israeli Defence Forces. These incidents are intensifying the humanitarian crisis and raising fears of a larger and even more devastating conflict.
Meanwhile, illegal settlements continue to expand, effectively extinguishing any hope for a two-state solution. Despite these alarming developments, the UK, like many Western nations, has failed to act decisively. The UK has yet to recognize Palestine as a sovereign state, even though 146 of 193 UN member states have already done so.
The Gaza Strip bears the scars of 15 months of relentless and indiscriminate Israeli bombardment. The conflict has claimed the lives of over 47,000 Palestinians, the majority women and children, and injured more than 111,000 others.
The war ended on January 19 with a fragile ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement between Israel and Hamas, but the devastation is staggering. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, over 38,000 Palestinian children have been orphaned since October 2023, with 32,151 children losing their fathers, 4,417 losing their mothers, and 1,918 losing both parents.
The Israeli military’s airstrikes have dropped over 100,000 tons of explosives on Gaza since October 7, 2023, leaving 88% of the territory’s civilian infrastructure and buildings destroyed or severely damaged. Nearly $38 billion will be required to rebuild.
The destruction includes 161,600 housing units reduced to rubble and 275,000 more partially damaged or rendered uninhabitable. Public infrastructure was also targeted, with 216 government buildings, 42 sports facilities, and 137 schools and universities destroyed. At least 34 hospitals were forced out of service, and 162 health facilities were damaged. Even places of worship were not spared—832 mosques were destroyed, along with 206 archaeological sites and 19 cemeteries.
Despite the widespread devastation, international accountability remains elusive. The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice, but these measures have yet to yield tangible outcomes.
Leaked documents reveal the role of US tech giant Microsoft in bolstering Israel’s military operations during the Gaza conflict. The Israeli military reportedly relied on Microsoft’s cloud and AI tools during the most intense phases of the bombardment, raising ethical questions about the intersection of technology and warfare.
Despite being Israel’s largest financial and military backer, the US continues to project an air of helplessness in influencing its ally’s actions. President Trump admitted he was “not confident” the Gaza ceasefire would hold, dismissing it as “not our war, it’s their war.” Speaking from the Oval Office, he added, “I looked at a picture of Gaza – Gaza is like a massive demolition site. That place, it’s really, it’s got to be rebuilt in a different way.”
Meanwhile, Israel has failed to honour its agreement to withdraw from Lebanon, continuing operations that have killed dozens, injured many more, and caused widespread destruction of homes and infrastructure—all while violating over 700 ceasefire agreements.
The existential threat to Palestinian statehood has never been more dire. The West’s continued inaction reveals a profound, unsettling indifference to peace in both Palestine and Lebanon, enabling an unbroken cycle of violence, displacement, and suffering to spiral ever deeper.
With each life lost and each family torn apart, the United Nations stands powerless—its failure to enforce meaningful change exposing the stark complicity of Israel and its enabler, the U.S., in perpetuating this injustice.
Trump’s proposal to relocate Palestinians from Gaza and the unfolding events in the West Bank are not isolated acts of aggression; they are part of a larger, calculated strategy to redraw the map of the region. Israel’s relentless military offensives and unrestrained settlement expansions are systematically stripping Palestinians of their rights, their homes, and their future.
Each settlement, each act of displacement, chips away at the possibility of a viable Palestinian state, erasing the foundations of self-determination.
The message from Washington and Tel Aviv is unmistakably clear: the annihilation of the Palestinian right to exist on their ancestral land is not merely a possibility—it is the objective. This stark reality demands urgent international attention before the dream of Palestinian statehood is extinguished altogether.
(Credit: Mohamed Majed/AA)
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