It is vital to stay true to the bedrock of international law and “avoid any form of ethnic cleansing” in Gaza, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Feb 5, after US President Donald Trump proposed, in remarks condemned widely around the world, that his country should “take over” the Gaza Strip and that Palestinians in the enclave be resettled elsewhere.

At its essence, the exercise of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people is about the right of Palestinians to simply live as human beings in their own land, Guterres told a UN committee meeting.

“We have seen the realization of those rights steadily slip farther out of reach. We have seen a chilling, systematic dehumanization and demonization of an entire people,” the UN chief said in remarks at the 2025 session of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People.

“In the search for solutions, we must not make the problem worse,” Guterres warned. “It is vital to stay true to the bedrock of international law. It is essential to avoid any form of ethnic cleansing.”

Guterres’ speech came one day after US President Trump suggested that the United States should take over the Gaza Strip and move Palestinians out of the territory to create a “Riviera of the Middle East”, gaining a “long-term ownership position” in the war-torn enclave. The UN chief did not directly mention Trump or his proposal during his address.

Trump made his announcement during a joint news conference on Feb 4 with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom he was hosting at the White House for talks.

Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the White House to warn him that “Palestine is not for sale”, Al Jazeera reported.

The shock proposal was also swiftly condemned by the international community, with regional heavyweights Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan rejecting the plan outright.

Turkiye called the proposal “unacceptable” and France said it risks destabilizing the Middle East.

Countries such as China, Russia, Spain, and the United Kingdom said they continue to support the two-state solution that has formed the basis of Washington’s policy in the region for decades.

In a proposal that lacked details on how he would move out more than 2 million Palestinians or control Gaza, Trump said he would make the war-battered enclave “unbelievable” by removing unexploded bombs and rubble, and economically redeveloping it.

“The US will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it, too. We’ll own it,” Trump said.

The casual proposal sent diplomatic shock waves across the Middle East and around the globe.

“The American racist stance aligns with the Israeli extreme right’s position in displacing our people and eliminating our cause,” Hamas spokesman Abdel Latif al-Qanou said.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also rejected the proposal.

“President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian leadership expressed their strong rejection of calls to seize the Gaza Strip and displace Palestinians outside their homeland,” his office said, adding that “legitimate Palestinian rights are not negotiable”.

Saudi Arabia rejects any attempts to displace Palestinians from their land, its foreign ministry said on Feb 5, adding that it would not establish ties with Israel without the creation of a State of Palestine.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said that China opposes the forced transfer of Palestinians.

“China has always believed that Palestinians governing Palestine is the basic principle of post-conflict governance,” Lin said on Feb 5, adding that Beijing backs a two-state solution in the region.

European officials and experts also underscored the importance of the two-state solution.

“The EU (European Union) remains firmly committed to a two-state solution, which we believe is the only path to long-term peace for both Israelis and Palestinians,” an EU spokesperson said.

“Gaza is an integral part of a future Palestinian state,” they added.

According to the French presidential office, President Emmanuel Macron, in a phone talk on Feb 5 with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, stressed that “any forced displacement of the Palestinian population in Gaza or the West Bank would be unacceptable,” pointing out that it would be a serious violation of international law and an obstacle to the two-state solution.

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock issued a statement on the future of the Gaza Strip, stressing that a solution must not be put in place without consulting Palestinians.

Much of Gaza was leveled in a 15-month conflict and Trump has repeatedly claimed credit for sealing the cease-fire agreement that took effect last month.

Netanyahu, who has vowed to bring home hostages taken by Hamas and to crush the group’s capabilities, said Trump’s plan could “change history” and was worth “paying attention to”.

Mike Gu in Hong Kong contributed to this story.