Donald Trump Wants To Take Over Gaza Is An Effort To Clean Up Ethnicity

JAKARTA Donald Trump called himself worthy of credit for a ceasefire agreement that ended the 15-month war in Gaza. However, the US President's (US) proposal to forcibly displac Palestinians in the region risks thwarting the agreement, according to experts.

The ceasefire in Gaza took effect on January 19, 2025, the day before Donald Trump took office for the second time as US President.

Nevertheless, Trump argues that his negotiating efforts, led by Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, play an important role in reaching the deal.

In his presentation speech, Trump called for a ceasefire. He also promised to leave the legacy as a 'carrior of peace and unifier.

But not long after, Trump's next statement took many by surprise. He suggested that Gaza be vacated from its inhabitants. Initially this comment was seen as an unreasonable hiberbolic statement.

But instead he repeated it again and again. Arriving at a speech that perfected his proposal when he spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House.

"AS will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will also do our job. We will have it," Trump said.

In a statement, Trump said the US government would spearhead development in the Gaza Strip to provide jobs and unlimited housing for people in the region.

After a 15-month war, starting from October 7, 2023 to the ceasefire on January 19, 2025, Gaza's condition collapsed, leaving 42 million tonnes of debris. According to a number of experts, it is estimated that it will take at least a decade to get rid of 42 million tonnes of debris in Gaza.

US President Donald Trump has said that US diplomacy to Israel and Palestine for decades has failed to resolve the conflict. Various peace proposals and presidents have alternated, but problems in the region have actually deteriorated.

The latest example is Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which sparked a dispute in Gaza.

After 15 months of war, Trump made an observation that Gaza would be rebuilt even in some locations had to be built from the start, making no sense for hundreds of thousands of civilians to inhabit the rubble.

Waterways and electricity must be repaired, not to mention schools, hospitals, and shops need to be rebuilt after being destroyed by war.

The development process could take years and as development continues, and as mentioned earlier, it will take about two decades to dispose of debris.

In this time, Trump said Gaza Strip residents should be pushed away permanently. Trump believes that without their presence, America's beautiful Middle East Riviera will rise from the dust so that it can provide thousands of jobs, investment opportunities, and a place for the world community to live.

Trump's repeated remarks calling on Gazans to be pushed out were opposed by many parties, including Indonesia. The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Indonesia firmly rejects any attempt to forcibly relocate Palestinians or change the demographic composition of the Palestinian Population Area, as written on the official X account.

Meanwhile, human rights groups say Trump's actions are the same as efforts to clean ethnicity and the way the US takes over Palestinian territory.

Leaders around the world have warned that expelling Palestinians from Gaza will destabilize the entire Middle East. In the short term, Trump's comments could thwart efforts to end fighting in the region.

The call for President Trump to carry out ethnic cleansing of more than two million Palestinians in Gaza undermines the chances of a ceasefire continued, said Josh Rubner, lecturer at the Justice and Peace program at the University ofwa, quoted by Al-Jazeera.

"The ethnic cleansing of Palestinians is not included in the ceasefire agreement, and if Trump provides the option, then he will destroy this very fragile process," he added.

Since October 2023, US-backed Israeli attacks in Gaza have killed nearly 62,000 Palestinians, including thousands of missing people who are also thought to have died.

But why did Trump express his appreciation for the ceasefire he did not want to maintain? Middle East analyst Khaled Elgindy believes Donald Trump is not interested in a ceasefire for the welfare of the Palestinian people. The president is just called haus praise'.

"He was interested in the title of the ceasefire. He wanted credit. He wanted to say 'I won'. I was the one who had done it. He didn't really care if it was done or if it was a mess or it ended up cleaning ethnicity," Khaled said.