Saudi Arabia slams Netanyahu’s suggestion it should host Palestinian state
The kingdom reiterated that ‘the Palestinian people have a right to their land’ and cannot be ‘expelled’. Saudi Arabia has condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s suggestion that the kingdom’s land be used to establish a Palestinian state. In a statement on Sunday, the Saudi Foreign Ministry accused Netanyahu of attempting to “divert attention” from Israel’s ongoing “crimes” in Gaza, including “ethnic cleansing”. “The kingdom affirms that the Palestinian people have a right to their land, and they are not intruders or immigrants to it who can be expelled whenever the brutal Israeli occupation wishes,” said the Foreign Ministry. #Statement | The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia appreciates the condemnation, disapproval and total rejection announced by the brotherly countries towards what Benjamin Netanyahu stated regarding the displacement of the Palestinian people from their land and the Kingdom values the… pic.twitter.com/ebj2sVHx4w — Foreign Ministry 🇸🇦 (@KSAmofaEN) February 9, 2025 On Thursday, Netanyahu responded to an interviewer on Israel’s Channel 14 who misspoke by saying “Saudi state” instead of “Palestinian state”. Advertisement “The Saudis can create a Palestinian state in Saudi Arabia; they have a lot of land over there,” Netanyahu said. The interviewer replied that it was an idea worth exploring. The exchange drew angry reactions from Arab states, including Qatar, Jordan, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Iraq, as well as the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “These dangerous and irresponsible statements confirm the approach of the Israeli occupation forces in their disrespect for international and UN laws and treaties and the sovereignty of states,” said GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi. The Saudi Foreign Ministry thanked the “brotherly countries” for denouncing Netanyahu’s remarks. Discussions of the fate of Palestinians in Gaza had already been upended by an earlier shock proposal from United States President Donald Trump for the US to “take over” and “own” Gaza, resettling Palestinians elsewhere in a move that would amount to ethnic cleansing. That suggestion, amid a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, has also been roundly condemned by Arab leaders. Trump has also said Saudi Arabia would not require the formation of a Palestinian state as a precondition to normalise ties with Israel, a claim Riyadh has repeatedly denied. Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 61,700 Palestinians including about 18,000 children, and wrecked much of the enclave’s infrastructure. More than 14,000 more people are missing and are presumed to be dead. The Hamas-led attack on Israel on October 7 that sparked the war killed 1,139 people and seized more than 250 captives, dozens of whom are still believed to be in the enclave. Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)
Here’s how Israel is repeatedly violating the Lebanon ceasefire
Under the initial terms of the agreement that brought about a ceasefire between Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah in November, the former was to withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon by January 26. That date came and went, but Israel has refused to pull back its military, and the deadline has instead been pushed to February 18. Israel has also continued to sporadically bomb areas in Lebanon – to mass denunciations from the latter – claiming that it is targeting Hezbollah for violations of the ceasefire. The Israeli presence in southern Lebanon means that thousands of people still cannot return to their homes in border villages, with Israeli troops shooting at people who get too close. The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah – a Shia group that is the strongest military force in Lebanon – began on October 8, as the Lebanese group launched strikes in solidarity with the Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza, which was coming under Israeli attack. Israel intensified its attacks on Lebanon in September and killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on September 27. Advertisement Israel has killed around 4,000 people across Lebanon since October 2023. Why is Israel still occupying southern Lebanon? How is this a “ceasefire”? And what exactly is Israel’s end game? Here’s all you need to know. The date for Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon was extended from January 26 to February 18 [Ronen Zvulun/Reuters] Did the ‘ceasefire’ stop the war? While Hezbollah has stopped its attacks, Israel has not. Israel’s bombing is nowhere near the same intensity as it was before the ceasefire began on November 27, and nightly bombing of Beirut’s southern suburbs has stopped. However, Israel is still carrying out attacks on occasion, some of which are north of the Litani River – which Hezbollah is required to move its forces north of, as per the ceasefire agreement. The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), a data collection group, has recorded 330 air strike and shelling incidents carried out by Israel between November 27 and January 10, as well as 260 property destruction events. What about Hezbollah? Israel claims Hezbollah has also failed to meet the terms of the ceasefire. Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz said Hezbollah has not withdrawn north of the Litani River, which lies in southern Lebanon. “If this condition is not met, there will be no agreement and Israel will be forced to act on its own to ensure the safe return of residents of the north to their homes,” Katz said in January. Hezbollah’s Secretary General Naim Qassem said in a speech in late January that Hezbollah had adhered to the ceasefire agreement but didn’t say specifically whether or not his group had completely withdrawn from the south. Advertisement ACLED has recorded one attack carried out by Hezbollah since the ceasefire began. “Hezbollah has largely refrained from violence – there have been no direct attacks on Israeli soil since the ceasefire took effect, aside from a single attack on December 2 against the Israeli Rwayset Al Alam site in the occupied territories that we code as Syria,” ACLED’s Ameneh Mehvar told Al Jazeera. Qassem said the group would remain patient despite the repeated attacks against it. Israeli tanks are still in Lebanese villages, blocking some residents from returning home [Avi Ohayon/Reuters] What has the international reaction been? Lebanon has filed a complaint with the United Nations against Israel for its ceasefire violations. France’s President Emmanuel Macron urged Israel to meet the first ceasefire deadline to withdraw its troops, to little effect. France and the United States were the agreement’s original brokers. Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem has said the group abided by the terms of the ceasefire, while Israel claims Hezbollah is violating the agreement [Mohamed Azakir/Reuters] Is there any recourse for violations? According to diplomatic sources, the US – a strong ally of Israel – gave assurances that the deal would be adhered to. But there was no other recourse – and no suggested penalties – should the ceasefire be violated. Israel has yet to be held accountable for repeated ceasefire violations or extending the ceasefire period until February 18. What happens if Israel refuses to leave Lebanon? It’s unclear. Advertisement Hezbollah’s Qassem said in a speech in January that his group’s patience might run out with Israel’s violations. But in a more recent speech, he seemed to lay the responsibility to oppose Israel on the Lebanese state. “The Lebanese state is fully responsible for following up, pressuring and trying to prevent as much as it can, through sponsors and international pressure, this violation and this Israeli aggression,” Qassem said in a televised address last week. The Lebanese army is supposed to move into southern Lebanon as part of the ceasefire agreement. Any Hezbollah response will be limited by the weakened position it finds itself in. The fall of the regime of President Bashar al-Assad in Syria cut off Hezbollah’s land route to receive weapons from its primary backer, Iran. Its military capabilities also took a heavy beating during the two-month escalation from September until November, during which Israel invaded Lebanon. And it has lost most of its upper military leadership. For these reasons, Hezbollah appears reluctant to take any action that will give Israel a reason to intensify its attacks. Adblock test (Why?)
Iran ready to negotiate with US but not under Trump’s ‘maximum pressure’
‘Maximum pressure’ policy pushed by US ‘would not be a negotiation but a form of surrender’, Iranian FM says. Iran has said it is ready to negotiate with the United States but not under the “maximum pressure” strategy by Donald Trump. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a statement on Saturday that “the lifting of sanctions requires negotiations, but not within the framework of a ‘maximum pressure’ policy, because it would not be a negotiation but a form of surrender”. Araghchi’s statement came after Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urged the government not to negotiate with the US, calling such an approach “reckless”. Khamenei, who has the final say on all strategic decisions in Iran, referred to Iran’s previous experience negotiating with Washington. In 2015, Iran struck a landmark deal with the US, France, Germany, United Kingdom, China and Russia to regulate its nuclear programme in return for the easing of international sanctions. However, during his first term in 2018, Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from the agreement and reinstated heavy sanctions on Tehran, despite European opposition. Advertisement Trump on Wednesday called for a “verified nuclear peace agreement” with Iran, adding that it “cannot have a nuclear weapon”. Iran insists its nuclear programme is solely for peaceful purposes and denies any intention to develop atomic weapons. The US president, however, reinstated on Tuesday his “maximum pressure” policy, with Washington on Thursday announcing financial sanctions on entities and individuals accused of shipping hundreds of millions of dollars worth of Iranian crude oil to China. Aragchi said on Saturday that “Iran does not want to negotiate with a country that is simultaneously imposing new sanctions”. Adblock test (Why?)
Israeli air strike kills six in eastern Lebanon amid fragile ceasefire
Israeli drone attack targets the Shaara area in eastern Bekaa region. An Israeli air raid has killed six people and wounded two in eastern Lebanon amid a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that a drone targeted the Shaara area, near the town of Jennata, in the eastern Bekaa region on Saturday. The Israeli army issued a statement saying the targets were what it claimed to be Hezbollah operatives “within a site for the production and storage of strategic weapons”. “Activities within the site are considered a blatant violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon,” it said, referring to the ceasefire agreement signed on November 27 that brought to a halt the conflict between the Israeli army and Hezbollah. Since the deal came into effect, Israel has continued military action against what it says are Hezbollah sites. While the agreement called for a 60-day implementation period ending on January 26, Israel delayed the withdrawal of its troops from southern Lebanon, claiming the agreement had not been fully enforced by Lebanon. Advertisement Under the terms of the truce, the Lebanese army is to deploy alongside United Nations peacekeepers in the south, taking the place of Hezbollah forces. Israel has also launched a wave of attacks in the eastern Bekaa Valley, also typically considered a Hezbollah stronghold. On January 31, at least two people were killed as the Israeli army claimed to have struck multiple Hezbollah targets near the border with Syria. Hezbollah official Ibrahim Moussawi condemned the air raids at the time, calling them “a very dangerous violation and a blatant and explicit aggression”, calling on Lebanon to halt Israel’s continued attacks. Adblock test (Why?)
Real Madrid rescued by Mbappe after Alvarez penalty for Atletico
Real striker Kylian Mbappe’s second-half equaliser cancels out Julian Alvarez’s penalty for Atletico in Madrid derby. Kylian Mbappe scored in his first derby against Atletico Madrid as Real Madrid fought back for a 1-1 draw and kept its slim lead in the Spanish league. Julian Alvarez put Atletico ahead from the penalty spot in the 35th minute at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday. The kick was awarded after the referee was called to review a challenge by Aurelien Tchouameni on Samuel Lino. Mbappe equalised in the 50th minute for the hosts, who have stayed one point ahead of second-placed Atletico in the standings, after latching onto a blocked effort by Jude Bellingham to slot home. Bellingham hit the crossbar with a header as Madrid searched for a second goal, while Atletico goalkeeper Jan Olbak made saves to deny Rodrygo, Vinícius Júnior and Mbappe to split the points in the Spanish capital. “We knew how to hang in there and had our chances,” Alvarez said. “We are in the fight and will stay in it right to the end.” Julian Alvarez of Atletico Madrid scores his team’s first goal from the penalty spot [Angel Martinez/Getty Images] Atletico, who spent big last summer to acquire Alvarez and other reinforcements, are trying to add to league titles in 2021 and 2014 under coach Diego Simeone. Advertisement They arrived in fine form, having won 19 of their previous 21 games in all competitions, and they showed why they have the best defence in Europe’s top five leagues with 15 goals conceded in 23 games. On Saturday, despite losing defensive stalwart Robin Le Normand to suspension, Simeone’s side was once again rock-solid at the back, frustrating Real’s stellar attack who were unable to create a single shot on target in the first half. Real coach Carlo Ancelotti was quick to accept that it was a game of two halves: “We controlled the second half well. We scored and had chances. We played a very good second half. First half was different. We were very slow and not aggressive enough. “The penalty affected the team. After the penalty, and before, we were playing very slow. We didn’t take advantage of the field. In the second half, we opened the field and made it wider, and took advantage of that. We created lots of problems in the second half,” he said. A spate of injuries left Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti relying on a makeshift backline of Lucas Vázquez, regular midfielder Tchouameni, youth player Raul Asencio, and Fran García. It was the reckless stretch of his boot by Tchouameni that ended up tripping Lino but it still required VAR to intervene for the kick to be awarded. Former Manchester City striker Alvarez gently stroked his penalty down the middle as Thibaut Courtois dived to his left. Antoine Griezmann showed again his great value to Atletico with precision passing even under duress. The French midfielder twice placed perfectly weighted balls that left Alvarez and Lino in a good position to get off shots inside the area, but clumsy touches by both ruined the opportunities. Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid scores his team’s equalising goal [Angel Martinez/Getty Images] Rodrygo sparked the Madrid comeback just after halftime when he dribbled past Javi Galan and Lino on the right side and slipped a ball to Bellingham in the heart of the box. Advertisement Bellingham’s scuffed shot hit a defender and fell to Mbappe, who had missed the first Atletico derby of the season – a 1-1 draw in September – because of injury, to rifle home for his first goal against Real’s cross-city rivals. Madrid poured forward searching for a second goal with Atletico rattled. Vinicius dribbled down the left side and scooped the ball for Bellingham, who smashed a header off the woodwork. Simeone changed both his fullbacks with Reinildo and Nahuel Molina in the 63rd, but Oblak still had to come to Atletico’s rescue on three occasions. “In the first half, we played very well,” Simeone said. “In the second half, they scored right away, then hit the bar. It was very intense. “After 20 minutes in the second half, we also had our opportunities … Julian [Alvarez] slipped on one, [Marcos] Llorente a couple of times. At the end, it was a draw, [but] both teams thought they could win the game.” Barcelona, in third place, are now five points behind Madrid ahead of their trip to Sevilla on Sunday. Adblock test (Why?)
Super bowl halftime show: What to expect from Kendrick Lamar’s performance
The Super Bowl halftime show has always been a major part of the annual NFL event and is the United States’ most-watched musical performance of the year. Here is a look at Sunday’s halftime show during the match between Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs in New Orleans, Louisiana. Who is performing at the Super Bowl halftime show 2025? Kendrick Lamar will perform the halftime show. He has won 22 Grammy Awards throughout his career, including five this year for his song, “Not Like Us”, which bagged the prestigious Song of the Year and Record of the Year awards on Sunday. Lamar is the first solo rapper to headline the halftime show. The 37-year-old also performed at Super Bowl 2022, alongside Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, and Mary J Blige. It was the first halftime show to be entirely centred on hip-hop music. Lamar, who started out freestyling and battle rapping at school, released his debut studio album, Section.80, in 2011. Over the next three years, the album sold 130,000 copies in the US. Advertisement Lamar has released five more studio albums, along with other records, selling more than 17.9 million album-equivalent units worldwide. He has achieved five number-one singles in the US. What can we expect from Kendrick Lamar’s performance? In a news conference hosted by Apple Music, Lemer said he is staying true to his storytelling roots during his halftime performance. “Storytelling. I think I’ve always been very open about storytelling through all my catalog and my history of music. And I’ve always had a passion about bringing that on whatever stage I’m on.” Singer-songwriter SZA will join Lamar as a special guest. The event will be directed by Hamish Hamilton, who has directed the halftime show since 2010. But few other details about the performance were revealed, bowing to a tradition in which headliners keep their plans secret. Time to shine. #SBLIX https://t.co/KaJDfUCs8n — Super Bowl (@SuperBowl) February 3, 2025 Apple Music, the music, audio, and video streaming service of Apple Inc, sponsors this year’s halftime performance. The company took over sponsorship in 2023, when Rihanna performed, replacing Pepsi which had been sponsor since 2013. Where can I watch the Super Bowl halftime show? The Super Bowl is scheduled to kick off at 6:30 pm ET (23:30 GMT), on Sunday, February 9, with the halftime show expected to begin between 8-8:30pm (01:00-01:30 GMT). The event will be broadcast live on FOX, FOX Deportes and streamed on Tubi. Advertisement A history of the Super Bowl halftime show Initially, the show mainly featured college marching bands, before progressing to drill teams and performance ensembles, but it all changed in 1991 when boy band New Kids on the Block were the headline act. The rest of the Nineties had artists such as Michael Jackson, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder and Gloria Estefan perform. At the turn of the century, a number of different acts performed together. In 2000, Phil Collins, Christina Aguilera, Enrique Iglesias and Toni Braxton appeared and the following year brought Aerosmith and NSYNC together. The musical groups Aerosmith, front, and *NSYNC pose for a group photo after a Super Bowl Halftime Show [File: Chris O’Meara/AP] U2 replaced Janet Jackson in 2002, and the band performed a tribute to the victims of the 9/11 attacks. Jackson would get her chance in 2004, where her performance created controversy due to an infamous “wardrobe malfunction”. The incident led to a change for the next few years, with just one artist or group performing, mainly mainstream rock acts such as Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, Prince and Bruce Springsteen. In 2011, contemporary artists made a return, with the previous format of a headline act and a number of guests. Since then, Madonna, Beyonce, Bruno Mars, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Dr Dre and Eminem have all performed at the show, which guarantees them huge exposure and a significant increase in album sales and digital downloads. Madonna performs with Cee-Lo at halftime at Super Bowl XLVI on Sunday, February 5, 2012 [Gregory Payan/AP] Adblock test (Why?)
Lebanon names new government after two-year caretaker cabinet
PM Salam has formed a new government as Hezbollah appears increasingly sidelined. Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun has announced the formation of a new government after more than two years of an interim cabinet amid political wrangling and a major economic collapse. The presidency said on Saturday it accepted the resignation of the caretaker government and appointed Prime Minister Nawaf Salam‘s new cabinet of 24 ministers, the country’s first full-fledged government since 2022. The cabinet is now charged with drafting a policy statement – a broad outline of the upcoming government’s approach and priorities – and will then need a vote of confidence from Lebanon’s parliament to be fully empowered. Salam, a diplomat and former president of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), promised to reform Lebanon’s judiciary, implement economic reforms and bring about stability. Speaking to reporters at the presidential palace, he said Lebanon would implement UN resolution 1701, which ended a previous war between Hezbollah and Israel in 2006 and calls for the withdrawal of Hezbollah and other non-state armed actors from the area south of the Litani River, on the border with Israel. Advertisement Lebanon’s new government marks a shift away from leaders that are close to Hezbollah, as Beirut hopes to access reconstruction funds and investments after last year’s devastating war with Israel and to recover from a debilitating economic crisis that has gripped the country since 2019. Though Hezbollah did not endorse Salam as prime minister, the Lebanese group did engage in negotiations with him over the Shia Muslim seats in government, as per Lebanon’s sectarian power-sharing system. Former army chief Aoun – also a candidate not endorsed by Hezbollah and key allies – was elected president in early January, ending that position’s vacuum. The announcement comes after US Deputy Middle East Envoy Morgan Ortagus on Friday demanded that Hezbollah be excluded from Lebanon’s government, saying that Washington had made its continued presence in the cabinet a “red line”. The US Embassy to Lebanon issued a statement on Saturday saying it welcomed the new government and hoped it would implement reforms and rebuild state institutions. The United Nations special coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, welcomed the announcement saying the end of the political impasse “heralds a new and brighter chapter for Lebanon”. Adblock test (Why?)
Sudan army claims major advances against RSF in greater Khartoum
Development marks one of army’s most significant advances since war broke out between army chief al-Burhan and RSF. Sudan’s military says it has regained control of nearly all of Khartoum North as it intensified its offensive aimed at reclaiming full control of the capital from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The army, at war with the RSF since April 2023, has in recent weeks won back large swaths of the capital and its surrounding areas from the paramilitaries. On Saturday, the military said it had recaptured Kafouri, a key district in Khartoum North, after pushing the RSF to the outskirts of the city which is also known as Bahri. The district, one of greater Khartoum’s wealthiest, had been a key base for the paramilitary group, housing properties linked to senior RSF leaders, including Abdel Rahim Daglo, the brother and deputy of RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. On Friday, the Sudanese army announced it regained control of Abu Quta in northwestern Gezira State from RSF. In a statement, military spokesperson Nabil Abdullah said army forces and their allies on Friday pushed out “remnants of the Daglo terrorist militias” from Kafouri and other areas 15km (nine miles) to the east in Sharq El Nil. Advertisement On Thursday, a military source told the AFP news agency that the army was advancing towards the centre of Khartoum, while witnesses reported clashes there and explosions in the south of the capital. With the new advances, the army has secured all cities and towns in Gezira State, except for Giad in the north and surrounding villages located 50km (31 miles) north of Khartoum. The developments mark one of the army’s most significant advances since the war broke out between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his former ally Daglo’s RSF, which quickly seized much of Khartoum and other strategic areas. Fears of reprisals However, as fighting rages on in the capital, Amnesty International raised concerns on Friday about potential reprisals in areas recently recaptured by the army. The rights group cited reports of the circulation of lists targeting activists, human rights defenders, and medical and humanitarian workers, accused of being “partners of the RSF”. In South Belt, a neighbourhood in Khartoum, the RSF on Saturday detained two members of a local volunteering rescue group at gunpoint from Bashair Hospital – the last partially functioning facility in the area, the group said in a statement. On Thursday, the RSF had also reportedly detained the manager of Bashair Hospital, as well as the head of a soup kitchen and a volunteer, according to local rescuers. Last week, the UN human rights office documented at least 18 civilian deaths in Khartoum North since the army began its advance there in late January. Advertisement Following the army’s takeover of Gezira state capital Wad Madani last month, mass executions against civilians were reported. Human rights groups have accused the army and allied militias of extrajudicial killings, kidnappings, and physical and psychological torture, particularly targeting communities suspected of RSF ties. The army and RSF have been fighting a war since mid-April 2023 that has killed more than 20,000 people and displaced 14 million, according to the UN and local authorities. Adblock test (Why?)
Seeking re-election, President Daniel Noboa centres Ecuador’s crime wave
Noboa has continued to weather controversy about the limits of his authority through the end of his latest campaign. Ecuador’s constitution requires that public officials take a leave of absence to run for re-election. But Noboa instead signed two executive decrees to avoid transferring power to his vice president, Veronica Abad, with whom he is feuding. Just this week, the Constitutional Court of Ecuador declared both unconstitutional. After the ruling, the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE), a powerful Indigenous rights coalition, blasted Noboa for treating the presidency like “a private hacienda”. “No authoritarian manoeuvre can hide the truth: Noboa’s government is riddled with irregularities, abuses and contempt for democracy,” CONAIE wrote in a statement. “We have never trusted this government,” the acting president of CONAIE, Zenaida Yasacama, told Al Jazeera. “As a woman, his treatment of his vice president has hurt me.” Zenaida Yasacama, the acting president of CONAIE, an Indigenous organisation, expressed concern about Daniel Noboa’s government [Mie Hoejris Dahl/Al Jazeera] Still, Noboa has campaigned for a second, full term on the basis that he will declare war against “the old politics” of Ecuador. On advertisements, Noboa stands in a white T-shirt against a purple background, next to slogans for “one single round” — an appeal to voters to make Sunday’s victory so massive, no run-off election is needed. It’s a pointedly informal look, one designed to appeal to Ecuador’s younger generations. Garcia Nice explained that young voters are particularly fond of Noboa. Some even carry cardboard cut-outs of the leader. In a country where the average voting age is 28 and 16-year-old teenagers are eligible to vote, that demographic could provide a significant advantage at the polls. Yet, Noboa’s charisma as a young leader will only take him so far, Hurtado warned. If he succeeds in winning a full four-year term this year, he will no longer enjoy the benefit of the doubt that comes with being a relative newcomer to politics. “If he doesn’t resolve the country’s big challenges, his popularity will decline,” Hurtado said. Adblock test (Why?)
What does Trump’s ethnic cleansing proposal mean for ceasefire deal?
Washington, DC – Donald Trump has been claiming credit for the ceasefire deal that halted the war in Gaza, but the United States president’s proposal to forcibly displace the Palestinians in the territory risks torpedoing the agreement, experts say. Trump repeatedly called this week for Gaza to be depopulated — a push that rights groups say would amount to ethnic cleansing — and for the US to “take over” the Palestinian territory. Leaders across the world have warned that uprooting Palestinians from Gaza would destabilise the entire Middle East. More immediately, Trump’s comments could derail the push towards an enduring end to the fighting in the territory. “President Trump’s completely outrageous and outlandish calls for the ethnic cleansing of more than two million Palestinian people from Gaza severely undermines the chances for the continuation of the ceasefire,” said Josh Ruebner, a lecturer at Georgetown University’s Justice and Peace programme. “Of course, the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians was not in any ceasefire agreement, and by Trump putting that option on the table, he stands to wreck the very fragile process.” Advertisement The ceasefire came into effect on January 19, a day before Trump took office for a second term. But the US president has argued that his negotiating efforts, led by Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, were instrumental to sealing the deal. Trump invoked the ceasefire in his inaugural address as he pledged to leave a legacy as a “peacemaker and unifier”. ‘We had nothing to do with it’ Days later, Trump suggested emptying Gaza of its inhabitants. Initially, it was easy to dismiss the comments as one of his off-the-cuff, hyperbolic pronouncements. But then he repeated them again and again. On Tuesday, he read prepared remarks that fleshed out his proposal while speaking alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. “The US will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it, too. We’ll own it,” Trump said. Despite Trump’s comments, the ceasefire has continued to hold. The guns remain silent, and Hamas is set to release three more Israeli captives in the coming days in exchange for 183 Palestinians held by Israel. However, the US president’s proposal raises questions about the later stages of the truce deal, which include discussions about the future of Gaza. The first phase — which will see the release of 33 Israeli captives, a surge of humanitarian assistance to Gaza and partial Israeli withdrawal from the territory — is set to expire on March 1. The second stage is supposed to see a complete pullout of Israeli forces from Gaza, a permanent ceasefire and the release of all remaining captives held by Hamas. And the third stage includes a five-year reconstruction plan for Gaza. Advertisement Trump’s push for the people of Gaza to leave the territory altogether appears to be in direct contradiction with the spirit of the agreement. And there are signs that the US administration is no longer committed to all parts of the deal it has been bragging about brokering. On Tuesday, Trump’s envoy Witkoff suggested that Washington will push to complete the first two stages to free all Israeli captives. But he seemed to renege on the third stage — rebuilding Gaza — saying that it “can’t go the way that agreement talks about, which is a five-year programme”. Witkoff distanced the Trump team from the deal altogether, saying that it wasn’t “wonderful” from the start. “We had nothing to do with it,” he said. ‘It’s gone’ US officials have tried to walk back — or at least tone down — Trump’s comments, with White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt saying that people in Gaza would be “temporarily relocated”. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also said that the displacement of Palestinians in Gaza would be in the “interim”, and residents would be able to “move back in” after reconstruction. But the president has been reiterating almost daily this week that his plan is to permanently remove the Palestinians in Gaza and claim the territory for the US. Khalil Jahshan, the executive director of the Arab Center Washington DC, said Trump’s proposal spells doom for the ceasefire. “What we have heard from the White House this week, in my humble judgement, killed the ceasefire agreement totally. It’s gone,” Jahshan told Al Jazeera. Advertisement “It deprived the ceasefire agreement of its intended purpose: a solution for the day-after for Gaza and the people of Gaza. If the people of Gaza are going to be transferred ethnically to places from Indonesia to Albania to whatever, then what’s the purpose of proceeding?” Trump himself has suggested that the war may restart soon. “The strikes could start tomorrow,” Trump said on Tuesday. “There’s not a lot left to strike.” Since October 2023, Israel’s US-backed offensive in Gaza has killed nearly 62,000 Palestinians, including thousands of missing people who are presumed dead. But why did Trump emphatically claim credit for a ceasefire he did not intend on upholding? “Donald Trump isn’t interested in the ceasefire for the wellbeing of Palestinians,” said Khaled Elgindy, a Middle East analyst. “He’s interested in the headline of the ceasefire. He wants the credit. He wants to say, ‘I won. I’m the guy who did it.’ He doesn’t actually care if it’s implemented or if it falls apart or if it ends in ethnic cleansing.” Netanyahu’s war goals Elgindy said completing the second stage of the deal — a permanent ceasefire and Israeli troop withdrawal — will be vital for thwarting the ethnic cleansing plan. “There’s no question that the ceasefire, on its face, is totally incompatible with a plan to ethnically cleanse Gaza,” Elgindy told Al Jazeera. “This is why I think phase two is so critical. If we can get an agreement on phase two, and phase two is implemented, then I think the risk of actual ethnic cleansing is greatly diminished.” Advertisement Elgindy added that it doesn’t help the ceasefire that Trump “is talking crazy” about the future of Gaza, but