Gaza City: Hamas and Islamic Jihad React with Fury to Trump’s Plan to "Clean Out" Gaza
Gaza City: Hamas and Islamic Jihad React with Fury to Trump’s Plan to "Clean Out" Gaza
Hamas and its militant allies, Islamic Jihad, have reacted with fury and defiance to a plan floated by US President Donald Trump to "clean out" Gaza, where a fragile truce between Israel and Hamas aimed at permanently ending the war enters its second week.
Trump’s Proposal
The plan, which was floated by Trump on Sunday, involves moving Palestinians out of Gaza and relocating them to other countries, such as Egypt and Jordan. Trump said that he had spoken to Jordan’s King Abdullah II about the plan, and that he expected to talk to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Sunday.
Reactions from Hamas and Islamic Jihad
Hamas and Islamic Jihad have rejected Trump’s plan, with Bassem Naim, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, stating that Palestinians would "foil such projects" as they have done to similar plans "for displacement and alternative homelands over the decades". Gazans, he said, "will not accept any offers or solutions, even if their apparent intentions are good under the banner of reconstruction, as proposed by US President Trump".
Islamic Jihad has also rejected the plan, calling it "deplorable" and saying that it encourages "war crimes and crimes against humanity by forcing our people to leave their land".
Reactions from Israel and Egypt
There was no immediate reaction from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but a far-right minister, Bezalel Smotrich, welcomed Trump’s "great" idea, saying that it was "only out-of-the-box thinking with new solutions will bring a solution of peace and security".
Egypt has previously warned against any "forced displacement" of Palestinians from Gaza into the Sinai desert, which Sisi said could jeopardize the peace treaty Egypt signed with Israel in 1979.
Background
The plan is part of a broader effort by Trump to resolve the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. The Gaza war, which began after Hamas’s attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, has killed at least 1,210 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.
Conclusion
The plan to "clean out" Gaza has been met with widespread rejection from Palestinians, who see it as an attempt to displace them from their homes and leave them with no alternative. The plan has also been criticized by human rights groups, who say that it would be a violation of international law.
FAQs
Q: What is the plan to "clean out" Gaza?
A: The plan is to move Palestinians out of Gaza and relocate them to other countries, such as Egypt and Jordan.
Q: Who has rejected the plan?
A: Hamas and its militant allies, Islamic Jihad, have rejected the plan, as well as human rights groups and many Palestinians.
Q: What is the reaction of Israel to the plan?
A: There has been no immediate reaction from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but a far-right minister, Bezalel Smotrich, has welcomed the plan.
Q: What is the reaction of Egypt to the plan?
A: Egypt has warned against any "forced displacement" of Palestinians from Gaza into the Sinai desert, which Sisi said could jeopardize the peace treaty Egypt signed with Israel in 1979.