Trump’s Gaza Plan Violates International Law, Says UN Investigator
A top United Nations human rights investigator has strongly condemned President Donald Trump’s proposal to displace Palestinians from Gaza, calling it a violation of international law and an act of ethnic cleansing.
UN Official: Trump’s Plan Is Illegal
Navi Pillay, chair of the United Nations Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, stated in an interview with POLITICO that Trump’s proposal violates international law and constitutes a war crime.
“Forcible displacement of an occupied group is an international crime, and amounts to ethnic cleansing,” Pillay said.
Trump announced his controversial plan last week, stating he wants the U.S. to take over Gaza, relocate Palestinians elsewhere, and transform the region into “the Riviera of the Middle East.” The proposal received support from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who suggested it was worth considering.
International Court Warns Against Sanctions
Pillay, a former judge at the International Criminal Court (ICC), also denounced Trump’s sanctions against the ICC. The court recently issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu over alleged war crimes in Gaza.
“International law applies equally, without double standards for a state’s friends,” Pillay asserted.
On Friday, nearly 80 countries issued a statement in defense of the ICC, warning that sanctions could undermine the court’s operations and its ongoing war crimes investigations.
Calls for Apartheid Charges Against Israel
Pillay further suggested that Israel could face apartheid charges at the ICC, citing its treatment of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.
“Apartheid is one of the manifestations of control there,” she said, adding that her UN commission will investigate the claim.
She also noted that sanctions helped dismantle apartheid in South Africa and called on governments to impose similar measures against Israel. Apartheid is classified as a crime against humanity under international law.
Israel Withdraws From UN Human Rights Council
Pillay’s commission has previously accused Israel of war crimes, including the destruction of Gaza’s healthcare system. In response to growing criticism, Israel officially withdrew from the UN Human Rights Council on Wednesday, citing discrimination and antisemitism.
With tensions rising, Trump’s Gaza plan is expected to face global condemnation, and his policies on Israel and Palestine will remain under international scrutiny.
COMMENTS