daniel chigunwe
Herald Correspondent
PALESTINE and the rest of the progressive world have condemned attempts by United States President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to drive out Palestinians from Gaza to Jordan and Egypt.
President Trump said it was ideal for two million Palestinians in Gaza to move to neighbouring Egypt and on the other side of Israel in Jordan to allow reconstruction to take place.
But after a meeting with PM Netanyahu at White House on Tuesday, President Trump then changed and said he wants to take over Gaza and rebuild it, bringing jobs and economic prosperity while transforming it into the “Riviera of the Middle East”.
In a statement yesterday, Palestinian Ambassador to Zimbabwe Dr Tamer Almassri (pictured) characterised the plan to drive out Palestinians as a form of ethnic cleansing, warning that it would displace Palestinians the from their homeland and lead to further human rights violations.
“The idea of forcibly removing Palestinians from their ancestral homeland is a reprehensible act of ethnic cleansing, which is a war crime under international law,” Ambassador Almassri stated. “This is a stark reminder of the Nakba of 1948 when millions of Palestinians lost their homes, lives, and livelihoods. We will never allow history to repeat itself.”
Ambassador Almassri emphasised that Palestinians were not merely refugees seeking new homes; but they are a people with an inalienable right to their land. Any resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, he insisted, must recognise a sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.
“The Palestinian struggle is not about finding a new place to live. It is about reclaiming our rightful homeland. Any attempt to remove Palestinians from Gaza would reward a state that has committed genocidal crimes and would embolden its extremist leadership to commit more atrocities.”
Ambassador Almassri called on the international community to take a firm stance against ongoing Israeli violations of human rights and international law. He urged governments and global organisations to reject any plans for forced displacement and support Palestinian self-determination.
“Palestinian rights are non-negotiable,” he said. “The Palestinian people alone have the right to decide their future, and we will never surrender our land, identity, or sovereignty.”
The Palestinian cause has gained increasing attention in Zimbabwe, with solidarity movements advocating justice and an end to the conflict.
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter