Hamas rejects Trump's plans of taking over Gaza after resettling Palestinians

ANKARA

The Palestinian group Hamas on Wednesday categorically rejected US President Donald Trump's plan to "take over" Gaza after resettling Palestinians elsewhere, describing his remarks as "irresponsible."

In a statement, the Hamas group said Trump's remarks were "aggressive to our people and cause, and won't serve stability in the region."

Hamas stressed that it won't allow "any state in the world to occupy our land or impose guardianship on our great Palestinian people."

It urged the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to urgently convene to follow up on Trump's "dangerous statements, and take a firm and historic position that preserves the Palestinian people's national rights."

Earlier, Izzat Al-Rishq, a member of the Hamas movement’s political bureau, said Trump's remarks reflected "confusion and a profound ignorance of the Palestinian cause and the region as a whole."

"Gaza is not a common territory for any party to decide its fate; it is an integral part of the occupied Palestinian land," Al-Rishq said.

He affirmed that "any resolution must be based on ending the occupation and fulfilling the legitimate national rights of our people, rather than on the logic of power, dominance, or a real estate dealer’s mindset."

The Hamas leader added that Trump's remarks "reaffirm the United States’ full bias in favor of the Israeli occupation and its ongoing aggression against our people and their rights."

Late on Tuesday, Trump said the United States “will take over” the Gaza Strip after resettling Palestinians elsewhere under an extraordinary redevelopment plan that he claimed could turn the enclave into “the Riviera of the Middle East.”