Europe’s senior diplomat Kaja Kallas has avoided any “open” criticism of a proposal by US President Donald Trump to relocate Palestinians outside Gaza. Kallas referred instead to support for the two-state solution, which most observers agree is moribund.
“The Palestinian people have suffered a lot and both Israelis as well as the Palestinians really deserve peace,” said the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy in response to a journalist’s question. “Right now, we have the ceasefire in place, but it also requires the next steps to be taken so that peace will be permanent, and that there is stability and peace in the region.”
From Europe’s point of view, she added, this requires the two-state solution which requires that the two states are on a more equal basis. “And that is why also the European Union is supporting the Palestinian Authority, supporting humanitarian aid, Gaza, UNRWA, for that matter, so that all the services are provided to the people in need there. So, this is our approach.”
Trump called on Saturday to “just clean out” Gaza and resettle Palestinians in Egypt and Jordan, describing the enclave as a “demolition site” after Israel’s genocidal war.
NBC News quoted an unnamed official as saying that the Trump administration is currently studying how to rebuild Gaza and where about two million Palestinians could be resettled during this process. According to the channel, Indonesia could be one of the potential destinations for resettlement. However, the Indonesian Foreign Ministry denied knowledge of any such plans.
Predictably, Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also announced plans to begin developing a strategy to resettle the residents of the Gaza Strip.
Egypt, Jordan, the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation all issued statements vehemently rejecting any call for the displacement or relocation of Palestinians from their land.
Trump calls to ‘clean out Gaza’ of Palestinians
US President, Donald Trump, called on Jordan and Egypt to ‘just clean out’ Gaza of its Palestinian population as the Strip had become a demolition site. Advocating for the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from their land, Trump… pic.twitter.com/fUnhIjal6W
— Middle East Monitor (@MiddleEastMnt) January 28, 2025
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