2 weeks Ago By [email protected] (Mark Ramzy)
OTTAWA — Two Liberal cabinet members say U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal to move Palestinians out of the Gaza Strip would amount to “ethnic cleansing,” and are calling on the Canadian government to condemn it.
“The suggestion by President Trump to ‘clean out’ Gaza is preposterous, and a complete violation of international law. It amounts to ethnic cleansing,” said the statemen t signed by Justice Minister Arif Virani, International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen and seven other Liberal MPs on Wednesday. “We condemn it categorically, and call upon the Government of Canada to do so as well.
” In her own statement, Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly did not clearly condemn Trump’s comments or characterize them as a violation of international law. She said Wednesday that “Canada’s long-standing position on Gaza has not changed,” and reiterated Canada’s support for a two-state solution between the Palestinians and Israel. “We support Palestinians’ right to self-determination, including from being forcibly displaced from Gaza,” she wrote.
Trump first made the suggestion on Jan. 26, telling reporters on Air Force One that he would like to see Jordan, Egypt and other Arab nations accept an increased number of Palestinian refugees from the Gaza Strip, potentially moving out enough of the population to “just clean out” the war-torn area. Then, during a White House news conference this week with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said the U.
S. was prepared to build new settlements for Palestinians outside the Gaza Strip, and take “ownership” in redeveloping the war-torn territory into “the Riviera of the Middle East.” “We’ll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site, level the site, and get rid of the destroyed buildings, level it out, create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs,” Trump said.
His statements were immediately rejected by Palestinian leadership, the Arab states he mentioned, as well as American allies including Germany and Saudi Arabia, who believe a two-state solution — which would include Palestinians living in Gaza — is the pathway to peace between Palestinians and Israelis. On Wednesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt appeared to downplay suggestions that any relocations would be permanent, saying “the president has made it clear that they need to be temporarily relocated out of Gaza” and that Trump has not yet committed to sending U.S.
troops to Gaza. Mona Abuamara, the chief representative to Canada of the Palestinian General Delegation, said if Canada “wants to actually help” it should recognize a Palestinian state right now. “We are talking right now about not having any land to talk about for a two-state solution,” Abuamara told CBC News.
Trump’s comments come amid a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel after a war that was sparked when Hamas fighters attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking another 250 hostage. More than 47,000 Palestinians were killed in the Israeli offensive in Gaza that followed, according to Gaza’s health ministry, which does not distinguish between the deaths of civilians and fighters.
Many of Gaza’s estimated two million residents have been left homeless by the fighting. With files from the Associated Press.
