Trump wants to expel Palestinians from Gaza and lifts hold on 2,000 pound bombs to Israel
In the meantime Israel violates ceasefire agreements in Lebanon, where it expired, and in Gaza.
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Just to dispel any doubt about his foreign policy regarding the Middle East crisis and, in particular, Israel and Palestine, the new US President, Donald J. Trump, brought up a controversial plan which sounds like ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from Gaza, while talking to the press on board Air Force One to travel to Egypt, where he will meet President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, as reported in this Al Mayadeen article.
Here is what he said to the reporters (all emphasis mine):
I’m looking at the whole Gaza Strip right now and it’s a mess, it’s a real mess.
I’d like him [King Abdullah II of Jordan] to take [Palestinian] people.
I’d like Egypt to take [Palestinian] people.
I’m am meeting with, talking to General el-Sisi [Egyptian President] tomorrow.
I’d like Egypt to take people and I’d like Jordan to take people.
You’re talking about probably a million and a half people and we just clean out that whole thing.
It’s… you know… it’s over the centuries that’s had many many conflicts…
I don’t know… it’s… something has to happen, but… uh… it’s… it’s literally a demolition site right now… almost everything is demolished and people are dying there, so I’d rather get involved with some of the Arab nations and build housing at different locations where they can maybe live in peace for a change.
[Responding to questions from the press] It could be either: it could be temporary, it could be long term.
Of course, Trump tries to spin it as a humanitarian operation: move the Palestinians from Gaza to Egypt, Jordan and maybe other Arab nations, so that Gaza can be rebuilt and they can go back, but I do not trust a single word coming out from him and from (Anglo-)Zionists. Let’s not forget that Little Satan (a.k.a. Israel) does not allow Palestinians who leave their homeland to ever return (as per Human Right Watch)! And let’s not forget that Egypt and Israel are the only two countries for which US aid has not been frozen for 90 days by the new Secretary of State Marco Rubio (source: Politico). So, in short, there is a legitimate suspicion that Trump is trying to buy Egypt and Jordan in order to facilitate the relocation of Palestinians from Gaza, which is the old dream of the Israeli right and the current government in Tel Aviv. In fact, as reported by The Times of Israel, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich welcomed Trump’s idea with the following statement (emphasis mine):
After 76 years during which the majority of Gaza’s population has been forcibly kept in harsh conditions to preserve the aspiration of destroying the State of Israel, the idea of helping them find other places to start new, better lives is an excellent idea.
For years, politicians have proposed impractical solutions like dividing the land and establishing a Palestinian state, which endangered the existence and security of the world’s only Jewish state, leading only to bloodshed and suffering for many. Only out-of-the-box thinking and new solutions will bring about peace and security.
With God’s help, I will work with the Prime Minister and the cabinet to develop an operational plan to implement this as soon as possible.
Finally, let’s not forget what Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and senior foreign policy advisor, said in March 2024, when he called “for the mass expulsion of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and the development of a waterfront in the besieged territory”, as reported in the aforementioned Al Mayadeen article (emphasis mine):
Gaza’s waterfront property could be very valuable … if people would focus on building up livelihoods.
It’s a little bit of an unfortunate situation there, but from Israel’s perspective I would do my best to move the people out and then clean it up.
As if the above was not enough, yesterday, Saturday 25th January 2025, the head of the Outlaw US Empire, Donald J. Trump, lifted the hold imposed by the previous administration (i.e. Joe Biden & co.) on the supply of 2,000-pound MK-84 bombs to Israel, as reported by Al Mayadeen, quoting Axios, which cited Israeli officials as saying that 1,800 MK-84 bombs stored in the US are about to be shipped to Israel.
This comes just a week after Mike Herzog, the outgoing Israeli Ambassador to the Outlaw US Empire, stated the following in an interview to Axios:
We believe that Trump is going to release, at the beginning of his term, the munitions that haven't been released until now by the Biden administration.
So, you can probably understand what’s going on: Great Satan (a.k.a. the Outlaw US Empire) is sending heavy bombs to Little Satan, so that it can continue its relentless bombing of Gaza, forcing the Palestinians out of it (the definition of ethnic cleansing), and at the same time they ask Egypt, Jordan and other Arab countries to host homeless Palestinians, so that the Zionists can rebuild Gaza to their own taste and for their own benefit.
In response to Donald Trump’s remarks Palestinian resistance factions have issued a few statements condemning his plan. Here are some excerpts from Al Mayadeen (all emphasis mine):
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) described the US President’s statements as…
…an extension of a longstanding policy aimed at erasing the existence, undermining the will, and denying the rights of the Palestinian people [encouraging] the perpetuation of war crimes and crimes against humanity by forcing our people to abandon their land.
Our people, through their resilience and resistance, will thwart this plan just as they have overcome many others before.
The Palestinian Resistance Committees characterized Trump’s remarks as…
…aggressive, fascist statements that are in line with the plans of Israeli criminals in the extremists’ government and the implementation of their Talmudic myths and legends.
Our message to the criminal enemies of the nation in the American and Israeli administrations is clear: the Zionist-American failure to displace our people, despite thousands of tons of bombs and missiles, will never succeed in imposing any criminal decisions upon them.
Palestinian Mujahideen Movement:
Trump's remarks endorse the plans of religious Zionism and its criminal leaders in the enemy government [and reflect] the insistence of the new US administration (the Trump administration) to continue the aggression against our people and the displacement plans that include all Palestinian lands and the liquidation of the Palestinian cause.
What the previous US administration (the Biden administration) failed to achieve—supporting genocide and ethnic cleansing against our Palestinian people in Gaza—the new administration will not succeed in either. Our people remain steadfast in their land, and their plans will fail.
Meanwhile, Little Satan keeps violating the ceasefire in Gaza: as reported in this Al Mayadeen article, Israel “Defense” Forces (IDF) “opened fire on Palestinian evacuees at the last accessible point on Salah al-Din Street (eastern Gaza) and al-Rashid Street (western Gaza), which connect the southern and northern parts of the strip”, killing one Palestinian and injuring others.
Also, with the excuse that German-Israeli citizen Arbel Yehoud, one of the last female civilians held in Gaza by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (the second largest Palestinian resistance faction after Hamas), was not included in the swap, Little Satan is preventing Palestinian people from returning to their homes (or actually what is left of them!) in northern Gaza, thus violating the terms of the ceasefire agreement, according to which displaced people should now be allowed to move freely around the Palestinian territory, as reported by The Guardian, which also quoted the following statement, issued by Hamas in response to ceasefire violations:
The occupation is stalling under the pretext of prisoner Arbel Yehoud, despite the movement informing mediators that she is alive and providing all the necessary guarantees for her release.
Hamas holds Israel responsible for the delay in implementing the agreement.
At the same time confrontations between the IDF and Palestinian resistance factions continue in the West Bank and in particular in Jenin, where yesterday 3 Israeli soldiers were injured, as reported in another Al Mayadeen article, while the IDF keeps destroying houses and killing innocent children, including a 2-year-old girl, Leila Al-Khatib, shot in the head like a terrorist, as per Al Mayadeen.
All this in spite of concerns expressed by Thameen al-Kheetan, UN human rights office spokesman:
We are deeply concerned by the use of unlawful lethal force in Jenin, in the occupied West Bank.
The deadly Israeli operations in recent days raise serious concerns about unnecessary or disproportionate use of force, including methods and means developed for war fighting, in violation of international human rights law, norms, and standards applicable to law enforcement operations.
This includes multiple airstrikes and apparently random shooting at unarmed residents attempting to flee or find safety.
We are also concerned by repeated comments from some Israeli officials about plans to expand settlements further still, in a fresh breach of international law. We recall again that the transfer by Israel of its own civilian population into territories it occupies also amounts to a war crime.
Moving to Lebanon, the ceasefire between Little Satan and Hezbollah expired at 4:00 AM local time today, Sunday 26th January 2025, but, as expected from Israeli officials’ statements covered in my previous original article, the IDF has not abided by the terms of the ceasefire agreement and, instead of withdrawing from sovereign Lebanese territory, is continuing its violations and occupation of the southern villages, as reported by Al Mayadeen. Yet, Lebanese people started returning to their hometowns in the south, even defying warnings from the Lebanese Army Command, citing the presence of mines and unexploded ordnance, and military orders from the IDF, which, in turn, opened fire against peaceful residents trying to enter their hometowns, causing tens of casualties (both killed and injured).
Commenting on the end of the ceasefire between Lebanon/Hezbollah and Israel, Hasan Fadlallah, member of Hezbollah-affiliated Loyalty to Resistance Bloc party in the Lebanese Parliament, stated to Al Manar that Israel…
…does not attach importance to any agreements, and does not recognize the international community, which is complicit and covers this occupation, especially the United States.
The great victory is secured today by the people. The people, on top of whom are the families of the martyrs, offered sacrifices and confronted the enemy.
If you ask about victory, come and look here, and don’t just look at the price we paid.
Here we must hail the will of our soldiers, officers and members of our national army who deployed wherever the people arrived. This is our true equation. [Emphasis mine]
Al Mayadeen quoted the following statements by the Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to the Lebanese people:
Your actions today stand as a testament to the embodiment of true patriotism, to your unwavering loyalty to Lebanon, its message, and the pursuit of freedom.
Your courage and resilience have proven that a homeland fortified by determination as resolute as yours, with a strength burning like embers, cannot be subdued. This is a homeland destined to triumph, no matter the challenges it faces.
We continue to mourn martyr after martyr across the South, Bekaa, the southern suburbs, and all of Lebanon... Blessed are the mothers, blessed are you, people of the south, guardians of our land, sovereignty, and independence.
Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam was also quoted as saying:
On this day, when the people of the wounded South expressed their attachment to their land and identity despite Israeli threats, we extend our salute to our steadfast people in the South or those who were forced to flee because of the aggression, especially those who decided to return today and face the aggression with courage.
Your patriotism has become an example and a testimony written in blood that no right is lost for those who continue to demand it.
…while former President Emile Lahoud stated that the people of Lebanon, “descendants of the hero martyr Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah”, cannot be defeated:
The result of the war was clear, despite the media distortion, as evidenced by the fact that the enemy was unable to return settlers to the northern occupied territories. Instead, they resorted to violating the ceasefire daily, destroying and assassinating, but all this did not prevent the repetition of the scene we witnessed in 2000, when we were part of it.
The people returned to their villages despite the Israeli threats because their strength lies not only in their weapons but in the extraordinary determination that drives them to head to their towns, even if they are still occupied, to confront the enemy's tanks and soldiers with their bodies. [Emphasis mine]
Finally, the newly-elected Lebanese President Joseph Aoun was also quoted by Al Mayadeen as saying:
I join our people in the south in celebrating the victory of truth.
Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity are not negotiable. I am following up on this issue at the highest levels to ensure your rights and dignity.
Today is a victory for Lebanon and the Lebanese people, a victory for truth, sovereignty, and national unity. As I share this immense joy with you, I urge you to exercise self-control and trust the Lebanese Armed Forces, who are committed to protecting our sovereignty and security, ensuring your safe return to your homes and towns.
The Lebanese Army stands with you, wherever you are, and remains dedicated to safeguarding your security. Together, we will remain stronger and united under the banner of Lebanon.
To conclude this long article I will refer you to this one by Al Mayadeen, which covers the reactions by Israeli media to the return of Lebanese people to their hometowns in southern Lebanon carrying Hezbollah flags and picture of the late Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah: in short, they are afraid of a resurgence of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, although its fighters have not yet reacted to the violence of the IDF against peaceful civilians. We will see how things develop in the next few days…
P.S.: For further reading on Trump’s plan for Gaza, I recommend this excellent article by Caitlin Johnstone:
The infantile zionist messiah in all his glory. And yet his hypnotized worshippers are still screaming that their pro-empire Oligarch NeoCon messiah is 'president of peace' and 'a man of the people who came to fight the deep state because he really really loves the little guy'
Horrific, as usual.
Disappointed but not surprised by Trump's statements, I think strong rejection of this dragnet approach is needed now by his voters. I hope we will see it.
On Lebanon what do you make of the US building an absolutely massive embassy in Lebanon??