UAE rejects displacement of Palestinians as Trump plans Gaza takeover

The UAE has rejected any attempts at displacing Palestinians and "any infringement on the Palestinians’ unalienable rights," after President Donald Trump said the US would take control of the war-ravaged Gaza Strip. 

In a statement, the Emirati Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirmed "the importance of halting any settlement activities which threaten regional stability and undermine the opportunities for peace and co-existence" and "underscored the importance of preventing the expansion of the scale of conflict in the region, highlighting that the priority following the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip must focus on eliminating extremism, tensions, violence, and providing protection for all civilians."

President Trump announced plans to take control of the enclave during a joint press conference with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, without giving further details.

"The US will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it too," Trump told reporters. "We'll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site." 

Asked who would live there, Trump said it could become a home to "the world's people" and predicted it might become "the Riviera of the Middle East."

Trump's declaration has been widely condemned by global leaders and international organisations, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Brazil, Germany, and the United Nations.