Pakistan rejects Trump's Gaza 'takeover' proposal as 'deeply troubling and unjust'

ISLAMABAD

Pakistan on Thursday rejected US President Donald Trump's recent proposal to "take over" the Palestinian territory of Gaza, which has been devastated by Israeli forces' genocidal attacks until the recent ceasefire agreement, killing over 47,000 people in nearly 16 months.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Shafqat Ali Khan said, "The proposal of the displacement of Palestinian people from Gaza is deeply troubling and unjust."

During his weekly news briefing in Islamabad, Khan said Pakistan has "always stood behind" the Palestinian people and their struggle for independence.

"Islamabad will continue to stand behind them," he vowed. "It's very clear that Palestinian lands belongs to its people."

At a news conference on Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said the US "will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it too," and that if necessary, US troops would be sent in to turn it into "the Riviera of the Middle East."

​The controversial announcement by Trump has sparked global outrage, with several Arab, European, and African countries, as well as the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, issuing statements condemning the US president's remarks suggesting the relocation of Palestinians to other countries.

Trump had first triggered uproar last week by suggesting that Palestinians in Gaza should be relocated to Jordan and Egypt, calling the enclave a “demolition site” after Israel’s 15-month war that has claimed more than 47,000 lives. A ceasefire that took hold on Jan. 19 is currently in place.