Senator Loren Legarda strongly condemned U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal to “take over” the Gaza Strip and relocate its Palestinian residents to neighboring countries.
“It is deeply troubling and unacceptable that, after enduring fifteen harrowing months of violence, and decades of continued oppression, Palestinians now clinging on to the last fragments of their destroyed homes in Gaza face the cruel prospect of forced displacement,” said Legarda.
Trump’s remarks follow a ceasefire and hostage-release deal between Israel and Hamas after a devastating conflict that killed nearly 62,000 Palestinians.
He proposed U.S. “long-term ownership” of Gaza and its reconstruction into the “Riviera of the Middle East.”
Gaza—home to 2.1 million people, nearly half of them children—has suffered catastrophic destruction, with 92% of housing units destroyed and vital infrastructure in ruins.
“Gaza is not a token to be owned, traded, or negotiated away. It belongs to the Palestinian people, and it must remain theirs. To suggest otherwise, under the pretext of redevelopment, is a grave injustice that must not be tolerated,” the senator from Antique said.
She cited the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion in July 2024 declaring Israel’s continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory illegal and the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over alleged war crimes.
“The presence of Palestinians in Gaza is not the problem; the real issue lies in the continued illegal occupation of their land, the systemic oppression of their people, and the entrenched inequalities they face. Proposals like this reflect a dangerous mindset rooted in colonial arrogance, which not only threatens the future of Gaza but the very foundation of the international rules-based order.”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres, in a statement, reaffirmed Palestinians’ right to their land and urged a permanent ceasefire and adherence to international law.
Legarda stressed that whether Trump’s remarks were serious or political posturing, they pose a grave threat. She urged immediate diplomatic action, rejecting any proposals resembling ethnic cleansing.
“While such actions clearly constitute violations of international law, the pressing question remains: who will step in to prevent them? We must focus on meaningful, sustainable solutions that pave the way for a just and stable future, grounded in the principles of international law,” she concluded.IMT
