Ethnic Cleansing in Gaza: Another Trump Imperialist Power Grab Disguised as “Peace”
In a move that starkly underscores the imperialist ambitions of his administration, Donald Trump has proposed the forcible removal of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, advocating for their permanent resettlement in neighboring countries such as Egypt and Jordan. He claims that the U.S. will own the Gaza Strip, develop it, and create “thousands of jobs.” This audacious plan not only disregards the fundamental rights and desires of the Palestinian people, but also reveals a profound hypocrisy in Trump’s stance on refugees and immigration.
Trump’s proposal, which he euphemistically describes as “cleaning out” Gaza, entails the displacement of approximately 1.7 to 1.8 million Palestinians to other nations under the pretext of offering them a better quality of life. He envisions transforming the Gaza Strip into a region of economic prosperity, likening its potential to that of the “Riviera of the Middle East.” However, this vision conveniently omits the voices and aspirations of the very people who call Gaza home. Trump’s planning on ethnic cleansing, a blatant violation of international law and human rights, and one of the stages of genocide.
The hypocrisy of this proposal becomes even more glaring when juxtaposed with Trump’s domestic policies on refugees. Since his return to office, he has aggressively pursued a restrictive immigration agenda, focusing on reducing both illegal and legal immigration channels. Key measures include shutting down the asylum system at the southern border, halting refugee resettlements, attempting to end birthright citizenship through an executive order, and sending immigrants to the military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for incarceration. His administration has also suspended the United States Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), citing concerns over resource availability and national security. This suspension leaves thousands of refugees in limbo, unable to seek safety and a new life within U.S. borders. Such actions starkly contrast with his purported concern for the well-being of Palestinian refugees, revealing a disingenuous and selective approach to humanitarianism.
Moreover, Trump’s assertion that Palestinians would prefer not to return to Gaza is a gross oversimplification that either ignores or intentionally obfuscates the complex realities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. For decades, one of the major sticking points in peace negotiations has been the “right of return,” the principle that Palestinian refugees displaced during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and their descendants have a right to return to their ancestral homes in what is now Israel. By proposing to permanently resettle Gazans in other countries, Trump is not only dismissing this deeply held aspiration but also undermining a core component of any viable peace agreement.
The international community has not been silent in the face of this alarming proposal. Arab nations, including Egypt and Jordan, have firmly rejected the idea of absorbing large numbers of Palestinian refugees, citing concerns over regional stability and the potential for exacerbating existing social and economic challenges. A letter penned by five Arab foreign ministers and a senior Palestinian official to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed strong opposition to Trump’s plan, emphasizing that the displacement of Palestinians could lead to further destabilization in the Middle East. They argued that Palestinians should lead the reconstruction of Gaza with international support, rather than being forcibly relocated.
Trump’s insistence that Gazans only want to return to Gaza “because they have no other choice” is misleading at best and an outright fabrication at worst. The reality is that they have been given no other viable choice. The Israeli blockade, relentless bombardment, and systematic destruction of infrastructure have turned Gaza into an unlivable open-air prison, leaving its residents with few alternatives. The so-called humanitarian gesture of relocating Gazans to “sites” in other countries is a thinly veiled attempt to scatter them into refugee camps, stripping them of their national identity and political agency. To pretend that this is being done for their own good is not just dishonest — it is a deliberate effort to erase Palestinian claims to their homeland.
Furthermore, Trump’s plan echoes colonialist strategies of the past, where powerful nations uprooted indigenous populations under the guise of progress and development. The notion that Palestinians should be grateful for being displaced and given a “better life” elsewhere is steeped in the same paternalistic mindset that justified historical atrocities such as the Trail of Tears and the forced relocations of African and Asian peoples by European imperialists. This is not about peace or prosperity — it’s about control, domination, and the reshaping of geopolitical realities to suit American and Israeli interests.
The proposal also raises serious ethical and moral questions. The forced displacement of an entire population under the guise of humanitarian concern is a thinly veiled attempt to reshape the demographic and political landscape of the region to align with specific geopolitical interests. Such actions are reminiscent of historical instances of ethnic cleansing, where populations were removed to serve the ambitions of more powerful entities. Labeling this plan as anything other than an imperialist grab and ethnic cleansing is a disservice to the truth and a dangerous precedent in international relations.
The proposal disregards the agency and rights of the Palestinian people. It treats them as pawns to be moved at will, rather than as individuals with inherent rights and aspirations. This paternalistic approach fails to recognize the Palestinians’ right to self-determination and their deep-rooted connection to their homeland. By proposing to “clean out” Gaza, Trump is not only advocating for the erasure of a people from their land but also attempting to erase their history and identity... genocide.
It is crucial to recognize that forced displacement is not a solution to conflict but rather a deepening of existing injustices. Although generally late to take any action, the international community has long condemned forced population transfers as a violation of human rights, with the United Nations defining such acts as potential crimes against humanity. To suggest that Gazans can be moved like chess pieces to serve the strategic interests of the United States and Israel is an affront to the very principles of justice and human dignity.
Moreover, Trump’s plan is a direct affront to decades of diplomatic efforts aimed at securing a two-state solution. By proposing the wholesale removal of Palestinians from Gaza, he is effectively dismantling any remaining prospects for a negotiated peace. This move serves only to further entrench Zionist expansionism while denying Palestinians their right to self-governance and sovereignty. If this plan were to be realized, it would set a dangerous precedent for how powerful nations can forcibly remove indigenous populations with impunity, further eroding the already fragile international norms against ethnic cleansing. But the again, the U.S. already has a long, long precedent of doing exactly that.
The international community must unequivocally reject this proposal and stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people in their pursuit of self-determination and justice. If left unchecked, Trump’s plan could set a catastrophic precedent for how powerful states manipulate and discard entire populations to serve their own imperial ambitions. The world must not allow this to happen.
