It only took one statement to shred the two-state solution. With a declaration that sent shockwaves around the world, Donald Trump announced that Gaza would be subjected to ethnic cleansing and that its population would be forcibly displaced to neighboring countries such as Jordan and Egypt. For anyone still doubting his intent to dismantle any vision of peace based on two states, this was the ultimate confirmation.

Trump’s statement came during Netanyahu’s visit to Washington, which proceeded despite the International Criminal Court having issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu for crimes against humanity and war crimes. By inviting Netanyahu and ignoring the warrant, Trump openly disregards international law. This stance is further underscored by his removal of sanctions on Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, cementing his support for Israeli interests at the expense of Palestinian rights.

The two-state solution is officially dead, raising the question: Where does this leave the EU, which has for decades advocated precisely that solution?

Trump refers to Gaza as a “demolition zone” and talks about economic growth and job creation – but not for the Palestinians. According to his plan, they are to be forcibly displaced to make way for new structures. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has pointed out that this violates international law, as “any forced transfer or expulsion of people from an occupied territory is strictly prohibited.”

When Trump claims that the people of Gaza “would love to leave the area,” he reveals a complete ignorance of the cultural and historical ties that bind Palestinians to their homeland. UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric has stressed the gravity of this approach, stating that “any forced displacement of people is tantamount to ethnic cleansing.”

It’s not the first time a superpower has ignored a people’s rights to achieve geopolitical goals. But it is rare to hear such a direct statement from a world leader. There is no sugarcoating here – Gaza is to be cleansed, period.

Occupation Disguised as Regional Security

As if that weren’t enough, Trump did not rule out the possibility of deploying American troops to Gaza during reconstruction. History has shown how military involvement often evolves into long-term occupations that bring even greater oppression. To believe that the U.S. can stabilize Gaza through military control or economic development projects is either naïve or a deliberate disregard of the region’s history.

This strategy is a recipe for a new cycle of oppression. The result will be an even deeper rift between Palestinians and the international community, which should protect their rights but has repeatedly failed to do so.

Vibe Klarup, Secretary General of Amnesty International Denmark, sharply criticizes this and says: “It is inhumane. It is illegal. It crosses every boundary of human decency. To take over another country is the same as an invasion.”

The Final Death of the Two-State Solution

For decades, the international community has supported the idea of a two-state solution, despite Israel repeatedly undermining the establishment of a Palestinian state. The global community has either passively observed or actively supported Israel’s actions against Palestinians, including the genocide in Gaza.

The two-state solution has now effectively been shelved by Trump’s unilateral support for Israeli and American interests – including access to Gaza’s gas and the dream of Greater Israel, which does not end at Palestine’s borders but seeks to absorb large parts of the Middle East. By refusing to reject a de facto annexation of Gaza and the occupied West Bank, and thus denying Palestinians the right to their land, Trump has made it clear that there is no room for Palestinian sovereignty in his vision for the Middle East.

Even among U.S. allies in the region, there is anger. Jordan and Egypt, which Trump claims would accept up to 1.8 million Palestinian refugees, have already made it clear that they reject any such proposal. His plan is therefore not only an insult to Palestinians but also to the people of the region. The question now is whether the Middle East will passively watch – or resist U.S. and Israeli policy? The region’s countries have several options – the most immediate being to sell oil in a currency other than the dollar.

Ethnic Cleansing

A central part of Trump’s plan is the forced displacement of Palestinians from their homeland to neighboring countries, which he claims will receive them. This is ethnic cleansing – the systematic expulsion of an entire people. Suggesting that millions of people can be “relocated” as a logistical exercise is a degrading and inhumane idea that reveals Trump’s view of international relations as mere transactions. If Jordan or Egypt refuse – as they already have – Trump threatens to cut off all economic aid. In Trump’s world, everything has a price.

It also sends a dangerous message: there is no place for human rights, only geopolitical interests, upending the entire world order as we know it.

Trump’s Cynical World Order

This plan is a direct call to erase the Palestinian people. We are no longer talking about diplomacy, negotiation, or a just solution. Trump presents a model in which power justifies everything – including ethnic cleansing and occupation. It confirms the principle that great powers can dictate the fate of small nations without fearing consequences.

This world order undermines any hope for a solution based on justice – not just in Palestine but globally. The international community now stands at a crossroads: Will it reject this form of annihilation, or continue to silently accept that law has been subordinated to Trump’s blatant crime against the global legal order through the theft of Gaza? If the answer is the latter, we risk that Trump’s vision is only the beginning of an era in which peoples everywhere lose their right to self-determination.

A New Perspective on Palestine