Editorials In Pakistani Dailies React To Trump's Gaza Plan: 'Forced Displacement Would Be Equivalent To Genocide'; 'The Only Foreseeable Outcome Is More Conflict'

Memri

21-02-2025

Reacting to U.S. President Donald Trump's proposals for the United States to take over the ownership of Gaza, Pakistan's Urdu daily Roznama Jang ("War Daily") said in an editorial that Palestinians "should be given opportunities for development and prosperity within their own state" while liberal newspaper Dawn said that "the only foreseeable outcome is more conflict" in Gaza.
Roznama Jang, in an editorial titled "The Occupation Of Gaza Is Unacceptable!" wrote: "If the statements of the Hamas leadership, the Palestinian President, and those from the United Kingdom, Russia, China, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt, France, Germany, Turkey, and others are combined, the conclusion that emerges is that forced displacement from Gaza is unacceptable."
Dawn, a liberal newspaper, observed in an editorial titled "Depopulating Gaza": "The war on Gaza has proven that the will of the Palestinian people cannot be broken, and that they cannot be bought off, bribed. or beaten into submission."
A screenshot of the Roznama Jang editorial
"The Reaction Of The Majority Of The International Community Shows That The Notion Of Displacing People, Who Have Lived In Palestine For Centuries, From Their Own Land And Region Is Hard To Swallow"
Following is the Roznama Jang editorial, as translated from Urdu: [1]
"The Occupation Of Gaza Is Unacceptable!
"U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement [of an intention] to seize control of the Gaza Strip has caused unrest on the international level and the series of statements, reactions, and commentaries continues. In a situation when the people of the Palestinian Strip, drenched in blood due to Israeli bombings and ground attacks since October 2024 [sic], found some relief in the form of a temporary ceasefire, there is the need to take steps toward making the ceasefire permanent and restore normalcy to life.
"Pinning high expectations on the superpower, United States, in this regard is natural. However, the plan announced by President Trump at a joint press conference with Netanyahu at the White House – to claim ownership of the Gaza Strip and relocate Palestinians to another location – has raised new questions about the future of the Palestinians. In this matter, every circle and every country is expressing its own stance.
"The U.S. president's statement indicates that he wants to relocate the residents of Gaza to Egypt and Jordan. However, the reaction of the majority of the international community shows that the notion of displacing people, who have lived in Palestine for centuries, from their own land and region is hard to swallow.
"The United Nations states that forced displacement would be equivalent to genocide. If the statements of Hamas leadership, the Palestinian President, and those from the United Kingdom, Russia, China, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt, France, Germany, Turkey, and others are combined, the conclusion emerges is that forced displacement from Gaza is unacceptable."
"Pakistan Is The Sole Country Whose Founder [M.A. Jinnah] And Other Leaders Have Been Advocating For The Rights Of Palestinians Even Before Its Inception In 1947; Pakistan Did Not Recognize Israel, Supports Two-State Solution..."
"In this context, Kremlin spokesperson's statement that any solution in the Middle East must be based on a two-state framework is worth mentioning. This is the point that has also been outlined in the Security Council resolution. The Chinese foreign ministry has highlighted the need to steer the Palestinian issue toward the right direction of resolution based on a two-state solution.
"Even the U.S. Republican Senators Chris Murphy and Lindsey Graham state that this plan could lead to the deaths of thousands of U.S soldiers and would be the cause of wars in the Middle East. Saudi Arabia's response, besides reiterating unwavering support for a Palestinian state, makes it clear that it will not promise to normalizing relations with Israel without solid guarantees.
"British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has stated that Palestinians should be allowed to return to their homeland and rebuild, and they should stand with them in this regard so that they can move towards a two-state solution. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock has unequivocally stated that the Gaza Strip belongs to the Palestinians, and their displacement would be unacceptable and a violation of international law.
"According to the spokesperson of the French foreign ministry, the displacement of the Palestinian population would prove to be the cause of massive instability for Egypt, Jordan, and the entire region. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated that any plan to exclude Palestinians would result in further disputes.
"Pakistan is the sole country whose founder [M.A. Jinnah] and other leaders have been advocating for the rights of Palestinians even before its inception in 1947. Pakistan did not recognize Israel, supports the two-state solution according to the Oslo Accord, has a clear stance that the series of atrocities against the Palestinians should be stopped and they should be given opportunities for development and prosperity within their own state. In this matter, there is the need for the United Nations and the international community to play a more open role based on upholding human values."
"This Cycle Of Bloodshed Can Be Broken If The Palestinians Get A Contiguous And Viable State, But Israel Does Not Want To Talk Peace"
Following are excerpts from the original English of the Dawn editorial: [2]
"If implemented, such a plan would target Gaza for ethnic cleansing and foreign occupation, in order to create a 'Riviera of the Middle East' – one built on the remains of tens of thousands of Palestinians murdered by Israel. Members of team Trump have scrambled to spin their boss's words, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying that the idea 'was not meant as hostile,' while the White House press secretary has said the U.S. has no plans for boots on the ground in Gaza.
"Global leaders from across the spectrum have denounced the plan, though Mr. Netanyahu – responsible for the butchery in Gaza – has termed the scheme 'remarkable.' As for the Palestinian people's reaction? A resident of Gaza City queried by foreign media summed it up best: 'Trump can go to hell...We are going nowhere.'
"The world should know that despite surviving a genocide, carried out by Israel and supported by the U.S., the people of Gaza refuse to part with their land. They have buried their children, yet they refuse to be evicted from the land of their forefathers in their determination not to repeat the Nakba. Israel would be more than happy to empty out Gaza, as well as the occupied West Bank, thereby making more land available for settlers to colonize.
"But the Palestinian people will continue to resist these devious schemes, even while facing some of the most advanced and deadliest armaments on earth. The war on Gaza has proven that the will of the Palestinian people cannot be broken, and that they cannot be bought off, bribed or beaten into submission.
"At this point, the two-state solution seems like a distant memory, with the Israelis refusing to budge an inch, and an American administration willing to shield Tel Aviv from all censure. In the absence of any workable and just solution that protects the rights of the Palestinian people, the only foreseeable outcome is more conflict.
"As it is, after the Gaza ceasefire, Israel has turned its guns on the West Bank. This cycle of bloodshed can be broken if the Palestinians get a contiguous and viable state, but Israel does not want to talk peace. The least feasible 'solution' is the Trumpian plan for Gaza's ethnic cleansing and occupation, which is a non-starter. This is their land, and the Palestinians cannot be forced off it.'
[1] Roznama Jang (Pakistan), February 7, 2025.
[2] Dawn (Pakistan), February 7, 2025.