US President Donald Trump, left, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. Bloomberg
US President Donald Trump, left, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. Bloomberg
US President Donald Trump, left, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. Bloomberg
US President Donald Trump, left, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. Bloomberg

Trump’s Gaza plan ‘profoundly illegal’, experts say


Willy Lowry
  • English
  • Arabic

Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza

US President Donald Trump’s proposal to displace Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and “take over” the enclave breaches several international laws, legal experts warn.

Mr Trump on Tuesday made stunning claims, including that more than 1.7 million Palestinians in Gaza should be moved to countries including Jordan and Egypt, and that the US would assume control of the Gaza Strip.

“The US will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a good job with it, too,” Mr Trump said. “We'll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site.”

He described the coastal enclave as having the development potential to be turned into the “Riviera of the Middle East” and said he was prepared to send US troops there.

“It is profoundly illegal under international law,” said Michael Lynk, a professor emeritus of law at Western University in Ontario and the former UN special rapporteur for the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Mr Lynk claimed that Mr Trump’s proposal, if carried out forcibly, would amount to ethnic cleansing. That would be a breach of the 1949 Geneva Conventions, to which the US and Israel are signatories, and the 1998 Rome Statute, which created the International Criminal Court.

“The International Criminal Court has ruled that the Rome Statute applies to the occupied Palestinian territory, which includes Gaza, and therefore both Israeli leaders and American leaders, if they carry this out, would be criminally liable for forced displacement, even though neither country has signed their own statute,” he told The National.

He said the President's plan would also be a breach of international diplomacy. A June 2024 UN Security Council resolution, which called for a ceasefire to end the fighting in Gaza and was endorsed by the US, stipulated that “any attempt at demographic or territorial change in the Gaza Strip, including any actions that reduce the territory of Gaza”, would be rejected.

Mr Trump, who appears to thrive on breaking political norms and thinking outside the box, has complained that previous efforts to defuse the conflict have failed and that something radically new is required. He has long viewed himself as a master negotiator and titled his 1987 book The Art of the Deal.

His comments on Tuesday left analysts divided, with some choosing to believe that he was simply trying to build capital for a future negotiation, while others were less certain.

“It seems to me that this is part of an elaborate ruse to try and pressure Hamas into accepting that it will not have a monopoly on control and power in Gaza, that it will not have the sole dominion over Gaza's future and fate,” said Ahmed Alkhatib, a senior resident fellow at the Atlantic Council, who is originally from Gaza.

But others believe that is giving the President too much credit. “The Middle East is no place for political amateurs, and this is what we're seeing,” said Mr Lynk.

Aaron David Miller, a former long-time Middle East analyst at the State Department, told The National: "I think this is an unserious and dangerous proposal from an unserious man."

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

TO ALL THE BOYS: ALWAYS AND FOREVER

Directed by: Michael Fimognari

Starring: Lana Condor and Noah Centineo

Two stars

Red flags
  • Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
  • Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
  • Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
  • Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
  • Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.

Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching

Match info

Costa Rica 0

Serbia 1
Kolarov (56')

VEZEETA PROFILE

Date started: 2012

Founder: Amir Barsoum

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: HealthTech / MedTech

Size: 300 employees

Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)

Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC

The 12 Syrian entities delisted by UK 

Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Defence
General Intelligence Directorate
Air Force Intelligence Agency
Political Security Directorate
Syrian National Security Bureau
Military Intelligence Directorate
Army Supply Bureau
General Organisation of Radio and TV
Al Watan newspaper
Cham Press TV
Sama TV

What are the main cyber security threats?

Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.

MATCH INFO

Northern Warriors 92-1 (10 ovs)

Russell 37 no, Billings 35 no

Team Abu Dhabi 93-4 (8.3 ovs)

Wright 48, Moeen 30, Green 2-22

Team Abu Dhabi win by six wickets

GOLF’S RAHMBO

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CREW
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Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

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SPEC%20SHEET
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Airev
Started: September 2023
Founder: Muhammad Khalid
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: Generative AI
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
 
War 2

Director: Ayan Mukerji

Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana

Rating: 2/5

COMPANY%20PROFILE%3A
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs

Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 175Nm

Price: From Dh98,800

Available: Now

Mia Man’s tips for fermentation

- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut

- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.

- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.

- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.

 

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RESULTS - ELITE MEN

1. Henri Schoeman (RSA) 57:03
2. Mario Mola (ESP) 57:09
3. Vincent Luis (FRA) 57:25
4. Leo Bergere (FRA)57:34
5. Jacob Birtwhistle (AUS) 57:40    
6. Joao Silva (POR) 57:45   
7. Jonathan Brownlee (GBR) 57:56
8. Adrien Briffod (SUI) 57:57           
9. Gustav Iden (NOR) 57:58            
10. Richard Murray (RSA) 57:59       

Updated: February 06, 2025, 7:54 AM`