Friday14 February 2025
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Scholz criticized Trump's plans to relocate Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz deemed the proposal by former U.S. President Donald Trump to relocate Palestinians from the war-torn Gaza Strip to Jordan and Egypt as "unacceptable."
Шольц осудил планы Трампа по переселению палестинцев из Газы.

The Chancellor of Germany, Olaf Scholz, branded the proposal by U.S. President Donald Trump to relocate Palestinians from the war-torn Gaza Strip to Jordan and Egypt as "unacceptable."

This was reported by RBK-Ukraine citing Reuters.

"Any plans for relocation, the idea that residents of Gaza would be expelled to Egypt or Jordan, are unacceptable," Scholz stated during a campaign event in Berlin.

He reaffirmed his support for a two-state solution, where Israelis and Palestinians live peacefully side by side, adding that it should be clear that the Palestinian administration will take responsibility for Gaza.

"The fragile hope for peace that is currently possible must not be lost," Scholz remarked. He spoke about the recent ceasefire agreement and emphasized that peace can only be achieved when people in the Gaza Strip can hope for a self-governing future.

Jordan is already home to several million Palestinians, while tens of thousands live in Egypt, and the governments of both countries have rejected Trump's idea. Gaza is land that Palestinians would like to see as part of a future Palestinian state.

Trump's Radical Proposal

Recently, U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated his suggestion that a large number of Palestinians should leave Gaza for Egypt or Jordan. He stated this despite widespread disagreement from Palestinian leadership, the UN, and U.S. allies in the region.

During a conversation with journalists aboard Air Force One on Monday evening, the U.S. president reiterated that he "would like (the Palestinians from Gaza) to live in an area where they can live without the chaos, revolutions, and violence that is so prevalent."

These remarks, which clearly contradict existing U.S. policy and international law, have been widely dismissed by the Arab world as potentially fatal to the two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but have been welcomed by the right wing in Israel.

Trump also mentioned that he would "soon" meet with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, amid speculation that the long-serving Israeli prime minister would be the first foreign leader to visit the White House during Trump's second term.

"When you look at the Gaza Strip, you see that for many years it has been hell. Various civilizations have existed in this territory. It did not start here. It began thousands of years ago, and violence has always been associated with it. You could relocate people to areas that are much safer and perhaps much better and possibly much more comfortable," the White House chief stated.

Trump indicated that on Sunday he spoke with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Jordanian King Abdullah, insisting that both leaders would agree to the plan. On Monday, Abdullah also spoke with Trump's Secretary of State Marco Rubio, although this issue was not mentioned in the State Department's statement regarding that conversation.

"I would like (Sisi - ed.) to take a few. We have helped them a lot, and I am sure he will help us. He is my friend. He lives in ... a troubled area. But I think he would do it, and I think the King of Jordan would do it too," Trump said.

Doubts Among Palestinians

Amman and Cairo have insisted that Trump's proposal cannot be implemented. On Tuesday, Egyptian media reported that Sisi had not spoken with Trump.

Palestinians do not believe in the idea of temporary relocation for recovery, given the history of repeated displacements since the establishment of Israel in 1948.

Fifteen months of war have destroyed 70% of Gaza's infrastructure and left its 2.3 million residents in a deep humanitarian crisis. Over 47,000 people were killed before the ceasefire took effect earlier this month, and about 90% of residents have been forced to flee their homes, some of them multiple times.

Ceasefire Agreement in Gaza

On January 16, Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas reached an agreement on a ceasefire and mutual prisoner exchange in the Gaza Strip.

The agreement came into effect on January 19, when Hamas released the first three Israeli hostages, and Israel released 90 Palestinian prisoners.

On January 27, Israeli authorities allowed civilians to return to northern Gaza.