Indonesian Ministry Of Foreign Affairs: All Efforts To Move Gazans Are Unacceptable

JAKARTA - Spokesperson for the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Roy Soemirat emphasized that Indonesia remains in a firm position, rejecting any attempt to move Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, saying the ceasefire should be a momentum to initiate dialogue and negotiations to realize a two-state solution.

"Indonesia remains firm in position: any effort to move Gazans is unacceptable. Efforts to reduce Gaza's population will only maintain Israel's illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories and are in line with a larger strategy aimed at expelling Palestinians from Gaza," said Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesman Roy Soemirat in a short message to VOI, Wednesday, February 5.

"The ceasefire in Gaza must be a momentum to initiate dialogue and negotiations to realize the two-state solution, in accordance with international law and the international parameters that have been agreed upon," he said.

Earlier, United States President Donald Trump said the permanent transfer of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip which was destroyed by the war was upon receiving Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit.

He said Palestinians in the enclave had no choice but to leave the area which had to be rebuilt after nearly 16 months of war.

"That is the location of the demolition," President Trump said before meeting PM Netanyahu.

"If we can find the right piece of land, or a lot of land, and build a very good place for them with a lot of money in the area, that's for sure. I think it would be much better than returning to Gaza," he explained.

"I don't know how they (Palestinians) can stay," President Trump replied when asked about the reaction of Palestinian and Arab leaders to his proposal.

In response, Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations Riyad Mansour said Palestinians would choose to return to Gaza even though it was destroyed, because it was their homeland, quoted from The Times of Israel.

Meanwhile, senior leaders of the militant group Hamas last Saturday said, "plans to move Palestinians from Gaza are unreasonable and meaningless," as quoted by Middle East Monitor.

He stressed, "what Israel's occupation of violence failed to achieve, will not be achieved through political maneuvers."

Calling the plan a "recept for further chaos and tension in the region", Abu Zuhri said "the US repeated announcement of the relocation of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip under the pretext of reconstruction reflects the continued involvement in the crime."

In a press conference after a meeting with PM Netanyahu, President Trump said the United States would take over the Gaza Strip, Palestine under the pretext of rebuilding it and not ruling out sending its troops to the Palestinian enclave.

"I see the long-term position of ownership, and I see it will bring great stability to that part of the Middle East, and maybe throughout the Middle East as well," President Trump told reporters in the East Room.

"This is not a decision that is made easily. Everyone I talk to likes the idea that the United States owns that piece of land, develops and creates thousands of jobs with something that would be extraordinary," he continued.

President Trump also said the US would "take over the Gaza Strip, and we would also do work there."

"We will have it and be responsible for dismantling all the dangerous bombs that have not exploded and other weapons at the site," he said.

"Register the site and get rid of destroyed buildings, flatten, create economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for people in the area, do real work, do something different," he explained.

President Trump said his plans to take over Gaza would "create thousands and thousands of jobs, and it would be something the entire Middle East is very proud of."