We won't tolerate US occupation: Russia rejects Trump's proposal for Gaza control

Russia has strongly dismissed the proposal put forth by former U.S. President Donald Trump, suggesting that Gaza be "taken over" and its Palestinian inhabitants be relocated elsewhere. Trump's controversial idea was to transform Gaza into a resort area, envisioning it as the "Riviera of the Middle East" for international communities. However, this plan has been met with fierce opposition from Gaza's residents, who have made it clear that they will not abandon their homeland.

Gaza's defiant stance

Samir Abu Basal, a resident of Gaza City, expressed his anger via a chat app, stating, “Trump should go to hell with his thoughts, money, and beliefs. We are not going anywhere. We are not his property.” He also suggested that if Trump wants to resolve conflicts like the one in Kashmir, he should consider resettling Israelis in the U.S., as they have no rights to Gaza’s land.

Community united against forced displacement

Despite enduring years of war and bombardment, Gaza’s people remain steadfast in their refusal to leave. Um Tamar Jamal, a 65-year-old woman, stated, “Trump is crazy. If we didn’t leave during the bombings and famine, why should we leave now? We are not going anywhere.” For many, Trump’s plan evokes the painful memory of the 1948 Nakba (catastrophe), when millions of Palestinians were displaced from their homes. Today, they fear another forced displacement and are determined to prevent it.

Opposition from Palestinian leaders and the international community

Trump's proposal has faced widespread condemnation, not just from Gaza’s residents but from the entire Palestinian leadership and the international community. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas declared that Palestinians are unwilling to relinquish their land, rights, or sacred sites, stressing that Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem remain integral to the Palestinian state.

Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri called Trump’s plan “absurd and ridiculous,” warning that such ideas could destabilize the region. Palestinians, he said, will never accept such proposals.

Gaza's struggle for survival and hope

In the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis, residents sit by the rubble of destroyed buildings, waiting for the reconstruction of their homes. Ahmed Shahin, addressing Trump, said, “You have already helped Israel in this destruction, now it’s your responsibility to rebuild this land for us. You cannot force us out.”