MUSCAT/PARIS: The Sultanate of Oman has affirmed its unwavering stance and categorical rejection of any attempts to displace the population of the Gaza Strip and the occupied Palestinian territories.
Oman called for the need to respect the Palestinian people’s legitimate rights to establish their independent state on their land.
In a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry on Wednesday, the Sultanate of Oman warned that any plans aimed at transferring Palestinians from their lands constitute a flagrant violation of international law and resolutions of international legitimacy. It added that such action constitutes a threat to security and stability in the region.
The Sultanate of Oman called upon the international community to shoulder its responsibilities in protecting the rights of the Palestinian people. It underlined the necessity of reaching a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue, based on resolutions of international legitimacy and the Arab Peace Initiative - a solution that ensures the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the borders of June 4, 1967, with Al Quds A’Sharqiyah (East Jerusalem) as its capital.
Meanwhile, the head of the UN refugee agency voiced consternation at President Donald Trump's shock proposal for the United States to take over the Gaza Strip and resettle its people.
Filippo Grandi, the United Nations' high commissioner for refugees, said in an interview in Brussels it was not "clear" what the idea entailed, which made it difficult to comment on such a "sensitive issue".
"It's something very surprising, but we have to see what it means in concrete terms," Grandi said.
Trump made his announcement to audible gasps on Tuesday during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom he was hosting at the White House for talks.
In a proposal that lacked details, Trump said he would make the war-battered enclave "unbelievable" by removing unexploded bombs and rubble, and economically redeveloping it.
Many global leaders expressed opposition after Trump said he wanted to take control of the Gaza Strip and "permanently" resettle Palestinians in other countries.
Trump's shock proposal to rebuild Gaza and turn it into "the Riviera of the Middle East" triggered a flurry of condemnations in the Middle East and deep reservations among US allies.
Hamas said that Trump's proposal "will only put oil on the fire". The group said in a statement: "Our Palestinian people... will not allow any state in the world to occupy our land or impose guardianship on our great Palestinian people who have offered rivers of blood to liberate our land from occupation and to establish our state with Jerusalem as its capital."
Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas hit back at Trump's proposal. Abbas and the Palestinian leadership "expressed their strong rejection of calls to seize the Gaza Strip and displace Palestinians outside their homeland," Abbas's office said in a statement, adding that "legitimate Palestinian rights are not negotiable".
China said it opposed the "forced transfer" of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip. Asked about Trump's statement at a press conference, foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said "China has always maintained that Palestinian rule over Palestinians is the basic principle of the post-war governance of Gaza."
The French Foreign Ministry said Gaza should not be controlled by "a third party". "France will continue to campaign for the implementation of the two-state solution, the only one that can guarantee long-term peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike," the ministry said.
Türkiye lashed out at Trump's proposal, calling it an "unacceptable issue". Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said to the official news agency Anadolu that relocating Palestinians from Gaza was something "neither we nor the region can accept". He added it was "wrong to even bring it up for discussion".
Egypt gave strong support to Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas, calling for the authority to govern the Gaza Strip. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty called for the swift reconstruction of Gaza, without the displacement of Palestinians. In talks with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa in Cairo, the two agreed on "the importance of moving forward with early recovery projects" and "at an accelerated pace". SEE ALSO P6
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