Over 70 US Civil Rights Groups Demand Trump Abandon Gaza Displacement Plan
More than 70 civil rights organizations and advocacy groups in the United States have urged President Donald Trump to abandon his plan to take control of the Gaza Strip and forcibly relocate Palestinians to neighboring countries such as Jordan and Egypt.
In an official letter addressed to Trump, the signatories expressed “deep concern” over his recent proposals to expel nearly two million Palestinians from their homeland, warning that such policies could destabilize the West Asia region.
The letter, made public on Friday, stated, “Ethnic cleansing and a US occupation of Gaza would spark massive backlash across the Arab and Muslim world, drain American resources by entangling the military in endless wars, and make the peaceful establishment of a Palestinian state impossible, leading to even greater conflict in the region.”
Among the signatories were the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), CODEPINK, Peace Action, and the US Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO), alongside numerous other rights groups and advocacy organizations.
“Gaza is not a ‘big real estate project’ up for the highest bidder,” the letter emphasized. “It is a land that millions of Palestinians have called home for generations.”
The organizations urged the US administration to collaborate with regional partners to rebuild Gaza without forcibly displacing its residents.
“We call on your administration to abandon the expulsion and occupation proposal and instead work with the Arab and Muslim world to develop a realistic plan to rebuild Gaza without uprooting Palestinians from their ancestral homes,” they stated.
The letter also outlined a broader vision for peace, advocating for a permanent ceasefire, humanitarian reconstruction in Gaza, the establishment of an international redevelopment fund for Palestinian statehood, full US recognition of a Palestinian state, and an end to Israel’s occupation and discriminatory policies.
Trump’s displacement plan comes amid a ceasefire in Gaza, which has been in effect since January 19, temporarily halting Israel’s brutal war that has killed at least 48,264 Palestinians, injured 111,688 others, and left the besieged enclave in ruins.
International law experts warn that Trump’s Gaza displacement proposal constitutes a flagrant violation of international law.
They argue that Trump’s plan to expel Palestinians and place Gaza under US control continues a systematic displacement policy dating back to 1948 and constitutes a war crime under the Geneva Conventions and the Rome Statute.