Syria’s transitional President, Ahmed al-Sharaa has said that US President, Donald Trump’s plan to displace Palestinians and take over Gaza is a “serious crime that will ultimately fail.”
The Syrian leader said in an interview, “I believe no power can drive people from their land.”
“Many countries have tried to do it and they have all failed, especially during the recent war in Gaza over the past year and a half.
“Over 80 years of this conflict, all attempts to displace them have failed; those who left have regretted their decision. The Palestinian lesson that every generation has learned is the importance of holding on to their land.”
Ahmed al-Sharaa
This comes as Israel’s Army Radio reported earlier today that the Israeli military aims to indefinitely maintain a “large force presence” in Syria, and there are currently three brigades operating there.
The outlet said nine military sites are already in “advanced stages of construction” in the military zone created by Israel on Syrian territory, and infrastructure that has been completed there includes living quarters with amenities for soldiers.
On Monday, Trump said that Palestinians in Gaza would not have a right to return under his plan for US “ownership” of the war-torn territory, contradicting other officials in his administration who’ve sought to argue Trump is only calling for the temporary relocation of its population.
A senior Hamas official condemned Trump’s latest remarks about US ownership of Gaza as “absurd.”
Izzat al-Risheq, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, said that the comments “reflect a deep ignorance of Palestine and the region.”
He added that Trump’s approach towards the Palestinian cause will fail.
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad lashed out at the US President for proposing to clear out, redevelop and “own” Gaza.
The group said in a statement that Trump is treating “our national cause like a real estate deal” and is “deluded” if he believes “our people will accept this scheme.” The statement added, “Our Palestinian people will not kneel and will not leave.”
The group also condemned the continuing violent Israeli raids in the occupied West Bank, saying they show Israel’s clear intention to annex the territory.
“We strongly condemn the horrific crimes of invading and bulldozing refugee camps, destroying homes, besieging cities and villages and forcibly displacing our steadfast people.”
Palestinian Islamic Jihad
Rubio Defends Trump’s Plan To Take Over Gaza
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio in a radio interview defended President Trump’s suggestion that the US will “take over” and “own” Gaza while expelling more than one million Palestinians from their land.
“Someone’s got to go in … you’ve got to clean it up. You’ve got to clean all that out of there even before you begin the process of removing rubble and debris and rebuilding housing, like permanent structures. Who’s going to do that?
“Right now, the only one who’s stood up and said I’m willing to help do it is Donald Trump. All these other leaders they’re going to have to step up. If they’ve got a better idea then now is the time.”
Marco Rubio
He added, “We’re still waiting for more countries to step forward and say here’s what we’re willing to do. And right now, they’ve not been willing to do anything – or at least anything concrete.”
READ ALSO: Hamas Announces Decision To Postpone Release Of Next Set Of Israeli Hostages
