Trump’s declaration US will ‘take over’ Gaza Strip sparks global condemnation – live

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British Palestinians have condemned Donald Trump’s plan to “take over” the Gaza Strip and called for an urgent rethink of UK government policies.

Dr Sara Husseini, director of the British Palestinian Committee, said Trump’s plans were “an extension of the relentless dispossession and dehumanisation of Palestinians we have experienced for decades, in particular over the past 15 months of Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza”.

“Israel has been emboldened to breach international humanitarian law, thanks to the impunity it has been granted by the US, UK and other allies, along with the provision of military support from successive US and UK governments,” she said.

“Keir Starmer’s government must now take immediate, effective action against all attempts to ethnically cleanse the Palestinians from their homeland… and seek urgent accountability for Israel’s violations of international law.”

Dr. Nimer Sultany, reader in public law at SOAS University of London and the editor-in-chief of the Palestine Yearbook of Law textbook, said that “instead of holding Israel to account for making Gaza uninhabitable, the US is aiding Israel in completing the genocide”.

“Instead of enforcing the Court of Justice’s July ruling by ending the Israeli occupation and dismantling the Israeli settlements, Trump is seeking to displace Palestinians demanding freedom. Instead of denouncing Israeli annexation, which is no less unlawful than [Russia’s annexation of] Crimea, the US plans to facilitate it.

“All states and human rights defenders need to forcefully reject this ugly face of barbarism: these attempts seek to destroy not only Gaza but also the international legal order itself.”

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has said Donald Trump’s proposal for the US to take over the Gaza Strip and resettle Palestinians in other countries “makes no sense” and is “practically incomprehensible”.

Speaking in a joint interview with Brazilian radio stations, the leftist leader once again called Israel’s actions in Gaza a “genocide” and said the US had “encouraged everything that Israel has done in Gaza”.

“It makes no sense [for the US president] to meet with the president of Israel and say: ‘We are going to occupy Gaza, we are going to recover Gaza, we are going to live in Gaza’,” he said.

“And the Palestinians – where will they go, where will they live? … So, it is something practically incomprehensible to any human being.”

He added: “What happened in Gaza was a genocide, and I honestly do not know if the US, which is part of all this, would be the country to try to take care of Gaza. Those who have to take care of Gaza are the Palestinians.

“What they need is compensation for everything that was destroyed so that they can rebuild their homes, hospitals, schools, and live with dignity and respect,” he said.

Citing Trump’s recent comments on Greenland, Canada, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Panama Canal, Lula said the US was “isolating itself from the world” and that “common sense is needed”.

The first time Lula referred to Israel’s actions in Gaza was at the beginning of last year. In response, the Brazilian president was declared “persona non grata” by the Israeli government. Since then, Lula has described Israel’s actions in Gaza and Lebanon as a “massacre” and “unnecessary slaughter”.

Death toll in Gaza reaches 47,552, says Hamas-run health ministry

The death toll in Gaza since the start of Israeli operations in the territory after the 7 October attacks now stands at 47,552, according to the Hamas-run Palestinian Ministry of Health.

The ministry’s latest daily update also said the number of people injured has reached 111,629.

Last week, Christian Lindmeier, a spokesperson for the World Health Organisation, said the agency considered the ministry’s figures reliable and that they were in fact probably an underestimate.

“Let’s not forget, the official death toll given by the Ministry of Health is deaths accounted in morgues and in hospitals, so in official facilities,” she said.

“As people go back to their houses, as they will start looking for their loved ones under the rubble, this casualty figure is expected to increase.”

What did Trump say about Gaza?

We’ve been reporting today on the international reaction to proposals made by President Trump about the future of Gaza.

In case you missed it, here’s a quick recap of what he said.

Speaking at a joint press conference with the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, at the White House on Tuesday evening, Trump suggested the US could take control of the territory and that the Palestinians could live out their lives in “peace and harmony” elsewhere.

“The US will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it, too. We’ll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site,” he said.

“Level the site and get rid of the destroyed buildings. Create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area.

“We have an opportunity to do something that could be phenomenal. The Riveria of the Middle East. This could be so magnificent.”

Asked whether US troops might be sent to help secure Gaza, he said: “We’ll do what is necessary. If it’s necessary, we’ll do that.”

He was also questioned about whether he would support the idea of Israel assuming sovereignty over the West Bank, replying that the administration would be “making an announcement probably on that very specific topic over the next four weeks”.

Global reaction to Trump’s declaration US will ‘take over’ Gaza Strip

President Donald Trump said the United States would take over the Gaza Strip after Palestinians are resettled elsewhere.

Here are some global reactions to the announcement, according to a roundup from Reuters:

Saudi Arabian foreign ministry:

Saudi Arabia rejects any attempts to displace the Palestinians from their land. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has affirmed the kingdom’s position in ‘a clear and explicit manner’ that does not allow for any interpretation under any circumstances.”

UK prime minister, Keir Starmer:

“They [Palestinians] must be allowed home, they must be allowed to rebuild, and we should be with them in that rebuild on the way to a two-state solution.”

German foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock:

Baerbock said the Gaza Strip belongs to Palestinians and their expulsion would be unacceptable and contrary to international law. “It would also lead to new suffering and new hatred … There must be no solution over the heads of the Palestinians.”

French foreign ministry spokeperson, Christophe Lemoine:

France reiterates its opposition to any forced displacement of the Palestinian population of Gaza, which would constitute a serious violation of international law, an attack on the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinians, but also a major obstacle to the two-state solution and a major destabilising factor for our close partners Egypt and Jordan as well as for the entire region.”

Spanish foreign minister, José Manuel Albares:

I want to be very clear on this: Gaza is the land of Gazan Palestinians and they must stay in Gaza. Gaza is part of the future Palestinian state Spain supports and has to coexist guaranteeing the Israeli state’s prosperity and safety.”

This is the thesis that is enshrined in the relevant UN security council resolution, this is the thesis that is shared by the overwhelming majority of countries involved in this problem. We proceed from it, we support it and believe that this is the only possible option.”

Chinese foreign ministry:

China hopes all parties will take ceasefire and post-conflict governance as an opportunity to bring the Palestinian issue back on the right track of political settlement based on the two-state solution.”

Turkish foreign minister, Hakan Fidan:

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.

Any forcible transfer in or deportation of people from occupied territory is strictly prohibited.”

Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, and the Palestinian leadership:

Iran does not agree with any displacement of Palestinians and has communicated this through various channels.”

Irish foreign minister, Simon Harris:

It’s very clear the direction of travel here: we need a two state solution, and the people of Palestine and the people of Israel both have a right to live in states safely side by side, and that’s where the focus has to be. Any idea of displacing the people of Gaza anywhere else would be in clear contradiction with UN security council resolutions.”

Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese:

Australia’s position is the same as it was this morning, as it was last year. The Australian government supports on a bipartisan basis a two-state solution.”

Palestine Liberation Organization secretary general, Hussein al-Sheikh:

The Palestinian leadership affirms its firm position that the two-state solution, in accordance with international legitimacy and international law, is the guarantee of security, stability and peace.”

Islamic Jihad:

Trump’s positions and plans are a dangerous escalation that threaten Arab and regional national security, especially in Egypt and Jordan, which the US administration wants to put in confrontation with the Palestinian people and their rights.”

Democratic and Palestinian-American US representative, Rashida Tlaib:

Palestinians aren’t going anywhere. This president can only spew this fanatical bullshit because of bipartisan support in Congress for funding genocide and ethnic cleansing. It’s time for my two-state solution colleagues to speak up.”

Palestinians “must be allowed home”, Keir Starmer has said in the wake of Donald Trump’s proposal to remove people from the Gaza Strip and put the territory under US control.

The prime minister told the Commons during prime minister’s questions that Palestinians “must be allowed to rebuild and we should be with them in that rebuild on the way to a two-state solution”.

His comments come after the US president suggested the “Riviera of the Middle East” could be created and said he did not think “people should be going back” to Gaza. Trump’s idea has been widely condemned as ethnic cleansing, given it would be a breach of international law.

While Starmer did not directly criticise the US president’s plan, he said:

The most important issue on the ceasefire is obviously it’s sustained, we see it through the phases, and that means that the remaining hostages come out, and the aid that’s desperately needed gets into Gaza at speed and at the volumes that are needed.

I have from the last few weeks two images fixed in my mind. The first is the image of Emily Damari reunited with her mother, which I found extremely moving. The second was the image of thousands of Palestinians walking, literally walking, through the rubble to try to find their homes and their communities in Gaza. They must be allowed home. They must be allowed to rebuild, and we should be with them in that rebuild on the way to a two-state solution.”

Starmer was responding to a question from the Liberal Democrat leader, Ed Davey, who asked for reassurance that the “concerns on these dangerous statements from the president will be communicated to the White House directly and firmly”.

Davey told Starmer:

Many of us were alarmed to hear President Trump speak about forcibly displacing 1.8 million people from Gaza.”

He added:

I’m glad that the foreign secretary has confirmed that the government’s position is still a two-state solution, I think that has support on all sides of the house, but will he reassure the house that this position and our concerns on these dangerous statements from the president will be communicated to the White House directly and firmly?”

Qatar, a key mediator in the Gaza ceasefire talks, was busy with phase two of the deal, and said it was too early to talk about the issue of Palestinians and displacement, Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesperson told Fox News on Wednesday, reports Reuters.

“We know that there is a lot of trauma with the Palestinian side when it comes to displacement. However, again, it’s too early to talk about this, because we don’t know how this war will end,” Majed Al-Ansari said.

Donald Trump and Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, addressed reporters at the White House, where the US president announced his intention to take over the Gaza Strip, move Palestinians to neighbouring countries and redevelop the territory for occupation by “the world’s people”, effectively endorsing the ethnic cleansing of the people of Gaza.

Here are the main takeaways from their joint press conference on Tuesday evening:

Jordan’s King Abdullah said on Wednesday he rejected any attempts to annex land and displace Palestinians, reports Reuters.

The remarks came after US president Donald Trump said on Tuesday the United States would take over Gaza after Palestinians are resettled elsewhere and develop it economically.

The UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, said Palestinians must be allowed to return to their homes in Gaza and rebuild, but ducked an invitation to criticise the US president, Donald Trump, when the Liberal Democrat leader, Ed Davey, asked whether Starmer would raise with Trump the concerns MPs have about his “dangerous statements”.

Trump’s proposal for the US to “take over” the Gaza Strip and resettle Palestinians in other countries has sparked global condemnation.

Iran has options to navigate US sanctions, Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian said on Wednesday, after US president Donald Trump restored his “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran.

There are no additional details on Pezeshkian’s comments on Reuters but we will update when more comes in.