The United Nations on Wednesday insisted that deporting people from occupied territory is strictly prohibited.
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, made this statement following President Donald Trump’s shock proposal for the United States to take over Gaza and resettle its people.
A large part of the Gaza Strip was levelled in a 15-month war triggered by Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel, and Trump has repeatedly claimed credit for brokering a ceasefire agreement that took effect last month.
In his proposal on how he would move more than two million Palestinians out of Gaza or control the territory, Trump said he would transform the war-battered region by removing unexploded bombs and rubble and economically redeveloping it.
“It is crucial that we move towards the next phase of the ceasefire: to release all hostages and arbitrarily detained prisoners, end the war, and reconstruct Gaza with full respect for international humanitarian law and international human rights law.
“The suffering of people in the occupied Palestinian territories and Israel has been unbearable. Palestinians and Israelis need peace and security, based on full dignity and equality,” Türk said in a statement.
Türk stressed that international law is unequivocal.
“The right to self-determination is a fundamental principle of international law and must be protected by all states, as the International Court of Justice recently reaffirmed.
“Any forcible transfer or deportation of people from occupied territory is strictly prohibited,” he said.
Trump’s proposal to take over the Gaza Strip and resettle its people faced resounding rejection from Palestinians, Middle Eastern leaders, and governments worldwide on Wednesday.
Trump made his announcement to audible gasps during a joint press conference on Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom he was hosting at the White House for talks.