US backtracks as Trump Gaza plan sparks global outcry

WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump’s administration appeared to backtrack on Feb 5 after his proposal to take over Gaza sparked uproar, with the UN chief warning against “ethnic cleansing” in the Palestinian territory.

Facing a wave of criticism from Palestinians, Arab governments and world leaders, Mr Trump’s Secretary of State Marco Rubio said any transfer of Gazans would be temporary, while the White House stated there was no commitment to sending US troops.

But Mr Trump insisted “everybody loves” the plan, which he announced to audible gasps during a White House press conference with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Offering few details on how the US could remove more than two million Palestinians or control the war-battered territory, Mr Trump declared on Feb 4: “The US will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it, too. We’ll own it.”

Mr Rubio said the idea “was not meant as hostile”, describing it as a “generous move – the offer to rebuild and to be in charge of the rebuilding”.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later said Washington would not fund Gaza’s reconstruction after more than 15 months of war between US ally Israel and Palestinian group Hamas.

US involvement “does not mean boots on the ground” or that “American taxpayers will be funding this effort”, Ms Leavitt said.

The UN warned against ethnic cleansing in Gaza.

“At its essence, the exercise of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people is about the right of Palestinians to simply live as human beings in their own land,” Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a speech to a UN committee that deals with the rights of Palestinians.

Mr Guterres’ spokesman Stephane Dujarric, previewing the UN chief’s speech, told reporters: “Any forced displacement of people is tantamount to ethnic cleansing.”

French President Emmanuel Macron and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said any forced displacement of the Palestinians would be unacceptable.

“It would be a serious violation of international law, an obstacle to the two-state solution and a major destabilising force for Egypt and Jordan,” the two leaders said, according to a statement from the French President’s office.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei called it a “shocking” plan and “a continuation of the Zionist regime’s (Israel) targeted plan to completely annihilate the Palestinian nation”.

Palestinian officials, Arab leaders and rights groups swiftly condemned Mr Trump’s remarks.

Hamas, which seized control of Gaza in 2007, rejected the proposal, branding it “racist” and “aggressive”.

Ms Leavitt said Mr Trump wanted Palestinians to be only “temporarily relocated” out of Gaza. “It’s not a liveable place for any human being,” she said.

Israel’s military offensive in response to Hamas’ October 2023 attack has left much of Gaza reduced to rubble, including schools, hospitals and most civil infrastructure.

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Rights group Human Rights Watch (HRW) said the destruction of Gaza “reflects a calculated Israeli policy to make parts of the strip unliveable”.

Mr Trump’s proposed plan “would move the US from being complicit in war crimes to direct perpetration of atrocities”, HRW regional director Lama Fakih said.

The US President, who also suggested he might visit Gaza, appeared to imply it would not be rebuilt for Palestinians.

But Ms Leavitt later said Mr Trump had been “very clear” that “he expects our partners in the region, particularly Egypt and Jordan, to accept Palestinian refugees, temporarily, so that we can rebuild their home”.

Even before the explosive proposal on Feb 4, he had suggested residents of Gaza should move to Egypt and Jordan. Palestinians, however, have vowed to stay on.

“They can do whatever they want, but we will remain steadfast in our homeland,” said 41-year-old Gaza resident Ahmed Halasa.

‘Winning’

In Washington, Mr Netanyahu hailed Mr Trump as Israel’s “greatest friend” and praised his “willingness to think outside the box”.

Speaking to Fox News on the night of Feb 5, he called Mr Trump’s proposal “remarkable” and “the first good idea that I’ve heard”.

“I think it should be really pursued, examined, pursued and done, because I think it will create a different future for everyone.”

But he also suggested it did not mean Palestinians leaving the territory forever.

“They can leave, they can then come back, they can relocate and come back, but you have to rebuild Gaza.”

The Gaza war began when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct 7, 2023, resulting in the deaths of 1,210 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures.

Israel’s retaliatory response has killed at least 47,518 people in Gaza, the majority civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory’s Health Ministry. The UN considers the figures reliable.

US backtracks as Trump Gaza plan sparks global outcry

AFP

Kemi Badenoch proposes 15 years to grant immigrants UK citizenship

Nigerian-born leader of the British Conservative Party in the United Kingdom, Kemi Badenoch, has proposed that immigrants should wait at least 15 years before becoming eligible for British citizenship.

The plan, which was part of her first major announcement as Tory leader, sought to tighten the immigration system by extending the period before migrants can apply for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) from five to ten years.

She also proposed that individuals who receive benefits, utilise social housing, or have criminal records would be prohibited from permanently residing in the UK.

“I want to reduce immigration and make living here actually mean something. We need to change the way our immigration system works. So I am announcing that the conservative party is going to do the following things differently: 1. If you want to stay in our country permanently and apply for indefinite leave to remain, the time you have to live here before you apply would increase from 5 years to 10 years. 2. You will have to be a net contributor with a high enough salary, especially if you want to bring family members with you. And if you have a criminal record, you are banned.

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“We would increase the time you can apply for a British passport from 12 months to 5 years, meaning it will take a minimum of 15 years to start an application. If you enter this country illegally or overstay your visa, you will be banned from ever getting leave to remain or a passport,” Badenoch said in a video shared on her X handle.

Currently, migrants can apply for ILR after five years of working in the UK, with some visa holders qualifying in two or three years.

The ILR grants the right to live, work, and study in the UK indefinitely, and after 12 months, holders can apply for British citizenship.

The new Conservative proposal extends the ILR period to ten years and mandates an additional five-year wait before migrants can apply for citizenship, tripling the minimum timeframe from six to 15 years.

The party is pushing for these changes to be backdated to 2021 by amending the upcoming Border Security, Asylum, and Immigration Bill, set for parliamentary debate next week.

Badenoch’s plan also cracks down on welfare access for immigrants. While most migrants on work visas, asylum seekers, and those in the UK illegally cannot claim state benefits due to the “no recourse to public funds” condition, some have had the restriction lifted.

She maintained that the current system had created a “conveyor belt” to citizenship, allowing too many people to settle in the UK too quickly and “creating a strain on public services.”

“We need to make sure that people coming here have a real, meaningful connection to the UK, no criminal records, they should be net contributors to the economy, not relying on benefits, but people who care about our country and our communities,” she said.

Kemi Badenoch proposes 15 years to grant immigrants UK citizenship

Bangladesh protesters burn family home of ex-prime minister

Protesters in Bangladesh vandalised and set fire to the former family house of deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, as well as the homes of other members of her party.

The upheaval was spurred by reports that Hasina would address the nation via social media from India, where she has been in exile since student-led rallies ousted her last year.

Hasina, 77, who led Bangladesh for 20 years, was viewed as an autocrat whose administration brutally suppressed dissent.

On Wednesday evening, an excavator ploughed into the home of Hasina’s late father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who is also Bangladesh’s founding president. The building had been converted into a museum.

Hasina’s father is widely regarded as an independence hero, but his anger at his daughter has tarnished his reputation among Hasina’s detractors.

In a Facebook video, Hasina condemned the attack and demanded “justice.”.

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“They can demolish a building, but they can’t erase history,” she said.

Hasina, previously lauded as a pro-democracy champion, has seen her reputation deteriorate since gaining government. She has been accused of rigging elections and imprisoning her opponents, and her administration was widely seen as corrupt.

She faces arrest warrants for cracking down on student-led protests last year, which resulted in the deaths of hundreds of people.

While Hasina escaped to India in August, resentment against her and her Awami League colleagues has not subsided.

On Wednesday, demonstrators vandalised and burnt down the homes and businesses of key Awami League officials. There have been requests on social media to remove the country’s “fascist pilgrimage sites.”

According to authorities, some 700 demonstrators arrived at the apartment on Wednesday night, prompting the deployment of dozens of police officers.

Since Hasina’s removal, a caretaker government led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus has kept the country operating.

However, it has struggled to contain simmering unrest. Thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets in recent months, demanding that Hasina be jailed for her fatal crackdown on student protesters.

While Yunus’ government attempts to extradite Hasina from India, it is simultaneously coping with an impending economic crisis; Yunus has accused Hasina of fabricating Bangladesh’s economic prosperity and laundering billions of dollars during her tenure.

Yunus promised to hold elections in late 2025 or early 2026.

Bangladesh protesters burn family home of ex-prime minister