عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Global Reaction to Trump’s Gaza Strip Takeover Plan

US President Donald J. Trump speaks during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 04 February 2025. (EPA)
US President Donald J. Trump speaks during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 04 February 2025. (EPA)
TT
TT

Global Reaction to Trump’s Gaza Strip Takeover Plan

US President Donald J. Trump speaks during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 04 February 2025. (EPA)
US President Donald J. Trump speaks during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 04 February 2025. (EPA)

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. 

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." 

EGYPT'S FOREIGN MINISTER BADR ABDELATTY 

Abdelatty discussed with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa the importance of moving forward with recovery projects in Gaza without Palestinians leaving the Gaza Strip. 

PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT MAHMOUD ABBAS AND THE PALESTINIAN LEADERSHIP 

Abbas said the Palestinians will not relinquish their land, rights, and sacred sites, and that the Gaza Strip is an integral part of the land of the State of Palestine, along with the West Bank and East Jerusalem. 

SENIOR HAMAS OFFICIAL SAMI ABU ZUHRI 

"Our people in the Gaza Strip will not allow these plans to pass, and what is required is to end the (Israeli) occupation and aggression against our people, not to expel them from their land." 

KREMLIN SPOKESMAN DMITRY PESKOV 

Russia believes a settlement in the Middle East is only possible on the basis of a two-state solution. 

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 

US President Donald Trump's comments on a plan to take over Gaza are "unacceptable". Any plans leaving Palestinians "out of the equation" would lead to more conflict. 

PALESTINE LIBERATION ORGANISATION 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." 

UK ENVIRONMENT MINISTER STEVE REED 

"The UK government's position ... is that Palestinian civilians must be able to return to their homes and rebuild their lives. For those people, the last ...months have been a living nightmare, and it's important they're able to go home after this to start to rebuild. 

"They'll need a lot of support from the international community to do that, but it's the only way we're going to get to the long-term solution for all of this, and a long-term peace, which is a two-state solution." 

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." 

DEMOCRATIC AND PALESTINIAN-AMERICAN US REPRESENTATIVE RASHIDA TLAIB 

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

US MUSLIM ADVOCACY GROUP COUNCIL ON AMERICAN ISLAMIC RELATIONS 

"Gaza belongs to the Palestinian people, not the United States, and President Trump's call to expel Palestinians from their land is an absolute non-starter." 

"If the Palestinian people were ever somehow forcibly expelled from Gaza, this crime against humanity would spark widespread conflict, put the final nail in the coffin of international law, and destroy what remains of our nation's international image and standing." 

PAUL O'BRIEN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL USA 

"Removing all Palestinians from Gaza is tantamount to destroying them as a people. Gaza is their home. Gaza's death and destruction is a result of the government of Israel killing civilians by the thousands, often with US bombs." 

DEMOCRATIC US SENATOR CHRIS MURPHY 

"He's totally lost it...A US invasion of Gaza would lead to the slaughter of thousands of US troops and decades of war in the Middle East. It's like a bad, sick joke." 

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

Lebanese Army Chief to Make Pivotal Visit to Washington Next Month

Lebanese army chief General Rodolphe Haykal. Photo: Army command
Lebanese army chief General Rodolphe Haykal. Photo: Army command
TT
TT

Lebanese Army Chief to Make Pivotal Visit to Washington Next Month

Lebanese army chief General Rodolphe Haykal. Photo: Army command
Lebanese army chief General Rodolphe Haykal. Photo: Army command

Lebanese army chief General Rodolphe Haykal is gearing up for an official visit to Washington in early February, after the US cancelled meetings with him in November.

The visit comes at a sensitive time, preceding the Paris conference to supporting the Lebanese army in March.

Ministerial sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Haykal’s visit to Washington has been set for between February 3 and 5, saying the army’s needs, cooperation between the US and Lebanese militaries, and continued American support for the Lebanese army will be high on the agenda of the talks.

Military sources said that the visit’s postponement in November has not frozen contacts between the two sides. On the contrary, intense contacts have since been made to reschedule the visit, resulting in setting a new date next month.

The army’s plan to confiscate all unauthorized arms and extend state authority over all Lebanese territory will most likely top the agenda of the visit. This plan has drawn broad international attention.

A statement issued by the army command on January 8 regarding the achievement of the objectives of the first phase of the weapons-control plan will constitute a key component of Haykal’s briefing to US officials.

The army said in that statement that it had achieved the initial goal to clear non-state weaponry from the southern area near the Israeli border by the end of 2025.

It said it secured areas south of the Litani River, excluding positions still held by Israeli forces, though there was more work to be done clearing unexploded ordnance and tunnels.

Haykal’s briefing will most likely refer to the challenges hindering the full implementation of the plan, foremost among them ongoing Israeli attacks and the occupation of a number of sites inside Lebanese territory, in addition to the establishment of buffer zones that restrict freedom of movement, as well as the daily violations of the ceasefire agreement of November 27, 2024.

The army chief will also stress continued close cooperation with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and with the ceasefire monitoring committee known as the mechanism, which held its last meeting on January 7 at the military level in the absence of civilians.

Ministerial sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the mechanism will not hold meetings this month. “We are awaiting the return of the US general who is abroad, as well as the appointment of a civilian representative to replace US envoy Morgan Ortagus, who has been relieved of her duties,” they said.

Meanwhile, Lebanon continues its preparations for the Paris conference to support the army, scheduled for March 5.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun told a recent security meeting that the army and security forces should prepare accurate reports on their needs and brief the conferees to secure the required assistance for their institutions.

Arab World

Al-Khanbashi: Hadramout Has Been Liberated from Al-Zubaidi, UAE's Hegemony

Hadramout Governor and a member of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, Salem al-Khanbashi gives a media briefing in the port city of Mukalla in Hadramout, Yemen, January 19, 2026. (Reuters)
Hadramout Governor and a member of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, Salem al-Khanbashi gives a media briefing in the port city of Mukalla in Hadramout, Yemen, January 19, 2026. (Reuters)
TT
TT

Al-Khanbashi: Hadramout Has Been Liberated from Al-Zubaidi, UAE's Hegemony

Hadramout Governor and a member of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, Salem al-Khanbashi gives a media briefing in the port city of Mukalla in Hadramout, Yemen, January 19, 2026. (Reuters)
Hadramout Governor and a member of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, Salem al-Khanbashi gives a media briefing in the port city of Mukalla in Hadramout, Yemen, January 19, 2026. (Reuters)

Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) member and Governor of Yemen's eastern Hadramout province Salem al-Khanbashi accused on Monday the United Arab Emirates of exploiting its participation in the coalition to support legitimacy in Yemen to pursue its own agenda.

Speaking at a press conference in Mukalla city, he said the UAE's actions in Hadramout were a shock to the people and local authorities.

The authorities had hoped that the UAE would act as a supporter to the Yemeni people as part of the coalition, but its actions on the ground went against those expectations, he remarked.

Hadramout has suffered from the hegemony of armed factions affiliated with Aidarous al-Zubaidi, leader of the Southern Transitional Council, with direct support from the UAE, added all-Khanbashi.

Hadramout has been liberated from al-Zubaidi and the UAE's hegemony, he stressed.

He accused groups loyal to al-Zubaidi of looting public institutions, terrorizing the people and committing wide violations against them, leading to instability in Hadramout.

He vowed that the authorities will take "all legal measures" against the UAE and al-Zubaidi's armed groups.

Justice will prevail, he declared, pledging to support the victims of the violations and hold to account the perpetrators.

Moreover, al-Khanbashi revealed that the UAE was running "several large secret prisons" in Hadramout. Explosives were also stored in the al-Riyan airbase that were going to be used to in assassinations and attacks in the province.

He said that Hadramout has closed a "dangerous and bitter chapter" in its history through direct support from Saudi Arabia.

This backing has helped restore stability, boost the state's authority and end a period of chaos and violations, he continued.

Arab World

Syria Says Sharaa, Trump Discuss Kurdish Rights as Forces Deploy in Country’s North, East

Syrian government forces brandish their weapons as they take possession of the SDF military base as they enter the city of Raqqa on January 19, 2026. (AFP)
Syrian government forces brandish their weapons as they take possession of the SDF military base as they enter the city of Raqqa on January 19, 2026. (AFP)
TT
TT

Syria Says Sharaa, Trump Discuss Kurdish Rights as Forces Deploy in Country’s North, East

Syrian government forces brandish their weapons as they take possession of the SDF military base as they enter the city of Raqqa on January 19, 2026. (AFP)
Syrian government forces brandish their weapons as they take possession of the SDF military base as they enter the city of Raqqa on January 19, 2026. (AFP)

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and US President Donald Trump discussed guaranteeing Kurdish rights in a phone call on Monday, Syria's presidency said, a day after Damascus reached a deal with Kurdish forces including a truce.

Sharaa met Mazloum Abdi, head of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, to discuss the agreement, which includes integrating the Kurds' administration into the state, but a Kurdish source with knowledge of the talks told AFP they were not positive.

Analysts said the deal -- following rapid government gains in Kurdish-controlled territory after driving Kurdish fighters out of Aleppo city earlier this month -- marked a blow for the minority's long-held ambitions of preserving the de facto autonomy they had exercised in swathes of north and northeast Syria for over a decade.

In the phone call, Sharaa and Trump, "emphasized the need to guarantee the Kurdish people's rights and protection within the framework of the Syrian state", the Syrian presidency said.

They "affirmed the importance of preserving the unity and independence of Syrian territory" and discussed "cooperation on combating" the ISIS extremist group, it added.

Requesting anonymity, the Kurdish source with knowledge of Monday's talks between Sharaa and Abdi said differences concerned "the mechanism for implementing the terms of the agreement".

Despite the ceasefire, brief clashes erupted on Monday evening in Raqqa city, with an AFP correspondent hearing heavy bombardment.

The SDF said government forces shelled the Al-Aqtan prison "which holds ISIS members and leaders, in an attempt to storm it".

Raqqa was once the extremist group's de facto capital in Syria.

A defense ministry source later told AFP that the clashes had halted, without elaborating.

- 'Stability' -

Sunday's agreement included the Kurdish administration's immediate handover of Arab-majority Deir Ezzor and Raqqa provinces to the government, which will also take responsibility for ISIS prisoners and their families held in Kurdish-run jails and camps.

A defense ministry map published on Monday showed the government controlled all of Deir Ezzor and Raqqa provinces, while the eastern parts of Hasakeh province were still under Kurdish control.

In Deir Ezzor province, an AFP correspondent saw military vehicles heading east of the Euphrates, while cars and pedestrians waited at a bridge leading to the eastern bank.

Driver Mohammed Khalil, 50, told AFP that "we hope things will be better than before. There was... no freedom" under the SDF.

Teacher Safia Keddo, 49, said that "we're not asking for a miracle, we just want stability and a normal life".

Authorities announced a curfew in Hasakeh province's Shadadi after the army said the SDF released ISIS detainees from the town's prison, while the Kurds said they lost control of the facility after an attack by Damascus.

The sides had earlier traded blame for attacks that the military said killed three soldiers.

The SDF had seized swathes of Deir Ezzor and Raqqa provinces as they expelled ISIS during Syria's civil war, supported by an international coalition led by Washington.

- 'Protecting civilian lives' -

Raqqa resident Khaled al-Afnan, 34, said "we support Kurdish civil rights... but we don't support them having a military role".

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a close ally of Damascus who is hostile to the SDF, hailed Syria's army for its "careful" offensive despite what he called "provocations".

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas instead said "all military activities must cease immediately".

The SDF on Sunday withdrew from areas under its control including the Al-Omar oil field, the country's largest, and the Tanak field.

Local fighters from tribes in the Arab-majority Deir Ezzor province sided with Damascus and seized the areas before the arrival of government forces.

The SDF's Abdi said Sunday he agreed to the deal to avoid civil war and end a conflict "imposed" on the Kurds.

Mutlu Civiroglu, a Washington-based analyst and expert on the Kurds, said the government's advance had raised "serious doubts about the durability" of the ceasefire and a March agreement between the government and the Kurds.

Sharaa had on Friday issued a decree granting the Kurds official recognition, but the Kurds said it fell short of their expectations.

In Qamishli, the main Kurdish city in the country's northeast, activist Hevi Ahmed, 40, said Sunday's deal was "a disappointment after years of hope that the Syrian constitution might contain a better future for the Kurds".