North Korea rejects Trump's Gaza 'takeover' proposal

By Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD (AA) — North Korea on Wednesday rejected US President Donald Trump's proposal to "take over" the Gaza Strip and relocate Palestinians to other countries, calling it an "act of forcibly expelling the Gazan people."

The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said in a commentary on its website that national sovereignty cannot be subject to negotiations with Washington.

"At a time when blood and tears are still being shed in the Gaza Strip and concerns are growing at home and abroad about the fragile state of affairs, the world is shocked by the outrageous rhetoric that tramples on the thin air of Palestinian hopes for peace and a stable life in the region," it said.

It also called Trump's proposal a violation of the UN Charter and international law and said it is not only a major obstacle to the two-state solution but also an "absolutely unacceptable reckless act."

However, the agency did not directly mention Trump by name.

The KCNA also accused Washington of protecting and encouraging Israel's "inhuman atrocities" by talking about its "right to self-defense" and providing high-tech killing equipment to Israel.

On Feb. 4, Trump said that the US would "take over" Gaza and resettle Palestinians elsewhere under an extraordinary redevelopment plan that he claimed could turn the enclave into "the Riviera of the Middle East."

His proposal was met with widespread condemnations from the Palestinians, Arab countries, and many other nations across the world, including Canada, France, Germany and the UK.