Antonio Guterres has warned Donald Trump to stick to international law after the US President said he will take control of war-torn Gaza and turn it into a “Riviera of the Middle East”, while resettling the enclave's Palestinians elsewhere.
“In the search for solutions, we must not make the problem worse," Mr Guterres, the UN Secretary General, told a UN meeting on Palestine on Wednesday. “It is vital to stay true to the bedrock of international law. It is essential to avoid any form of ethnic cleansing.”
Mr Guterres did not directly refer to Mr Trump or his Gaza proposal. But his spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, earlier told reporters that it would be a "fair assumption" to interpret his comments as a response.
Mr Dujarric said that "any forced displacement of people is tantamount to ethnic cleansing".
During a White House news conference on Tuesday, Mr Trump, standing alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, proposed the US take “long-term ownership” of Gaza.
After Mr Trump's comments, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas urged the UN chief and the 15-member Security Council on Wednesday to protect Palestinian rights.
However, any attempt by the Security Council to condemn the proposal or address the Gaza conflict is expected to encounter strong resistance. The 15-member body, responsible for maintaining global peace and security, has faced widespread criticism for its failure to take meaningful action on the situation in Gaza.
“Although the US may stand alone against the votes of 14 other council members, the [Trump] administration might view this as a point of pride rather than embarrassment,” Richard Gowan, UN director at the International Crisis Group, told The National. “The General Assembly offers a venue for Arab nations to articulate their opposition internationally."
UN officials are concerned, however, that strong condemnation from the General Assembly and Mr Guterres might lead Washington to cut more funding for UN activities.
“But it is very hard to see how they cannot speak out,” Mr Gowan added.
Palestine's UN envoy, Riyad Mansour, stressed the importance of rebuilding the Gaza Strip. He described Gaza as an integral part of Palestinian territory.
"The Gaza Strip is a very precious component of the land of the state of Palestine. It is part of our homeland, and we don't have a homeland other than the state of Palestine," he said. "We are not looking for other homelands or other countries. For those who want us to have a happy place and safe place, we will be delighted to return to our homes inside the state of Israel."
UN rights chief Volker Turk said international law is “very clear” and insisted that deporting people from occupied territory is strictly prohibited.
“It is crucial that we move towards the next phase of the ceasefire, to release all hostages and arbitrarily detained prisoners, end the war and reconstruct Gaza, with full respect for international humanitarian law and international human rights law,” Mr Turk said in a statement.
In his Wednesday remarks, Mr Guterres also expressed grave concern over rising violence perpetrated by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
“As affirmed by the International Court of Justice, Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territory must end,” he stressed. “International law must be respected, and accountability ensured.”