Wed Feb 05 19:05:12 UTC 2025: ## UN Condemns Trump’s Plan to Deport Gazans as ‘Ethnic Cleansing’

**Copenhagen/New York –** A wave of international condemnation has followed US President Donald Trump’s proposal to seize control of Gaza and forcibly relocate its 2.3 million inhabitants. Top UN officials have denounced the plan as a violation of international law and tantamount to ethnic cleansing.

Trump, speaking alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, announced the US would “take over” Gaza, redeveloping it into a “Riviera of the Middle East” and relocating Palestinians to unspecified “countries with humanitarian hearts.” The announcement was met with shock and immediate backlash.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres will warn against the “ethnic cleansing” of Gaza’s population, emphasizing the need to uphold international law and reaffirming the two-state solution. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk unequivocally stated that any forcible transfer or deportation from occupied territory is strictly prohibited.

Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territory, called Trump’s plan “unlawful, immoral, and completely irresponsible,” characterizing it as “incitement to commit forced displacement.” She urged the international community to isolate the US in response.

Numerous countries, including Spain, France, Russia, China, and Ireland, have rejected the proposal. Neighboring countries have also refused to accept a large-scale influx of Palestinians. Experts note that Israel, as the occupying power, lacks the legal authority to transfer Palestinians from Gaza, and that any such action by the US would be a further violation of international law.

The UN’s focus, according to Türk, should instead be on implementing the second phase of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, which would involve releasing all hostages and prisoners and reconstructing Gaza while respecting international humanitarian and human rights law. However, Netanyahu faces internal pressure to resume hostilities, jeopardizing the fragile peace. The ongoing conflict has already claimed the lives of at least 47,552 people in Gaza.

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