Rebuffing US resettlement bid, Russia affirms Palestinians' right to Gaza

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - The Palestinian people, including those in Gaza, have an indisputable right to live on their land, the Kremlin said on Friday in response to US President Donald Trump suggesting the resettlement of Palestinians from Gaza to Egypt and Jordan.

"The Gaza Strip is an integral part of the territory of the future Palestinian state, along with East Jerusalem and the West Bank of the Jordan River. The right of the people of Palestine includes the right of the people of Gaza to live on their land, it is indisputable, it should not be questioned," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a press briefing in Saransk, Russia, taking a question from Anadolu.

She reaffirmed that Russia’s position on Gaza and its inhabitants remains firm and unchanged.

"We support a comprehensive political resolution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict based on internationally recognized legal frameworks, including UN General Assembly decisions, UN Security Council resolutions, and the Arab Peace Initiative. The outcome should be the establishment of an independent Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, coexisting peacefully and securely alongside Israel," she said.

This approach, rooted in international law and historical justice, is supported by the vast majority of countries, including Arab nations, she said.

"We firmly believe that only implementation of a two-state solution can ensure lasting peace in the Middle East," she added.

Trump had earlier suggested that Jordan and Egypt, both of which border Gaza, should house displaced Palestinians. "You’re talking about a million and a half people, and we just clean out that whole thing," he said.

The suggestion drew widespread condemnation.