Palestinian leader: Imposing a new ‘Deal of the Century’ is delusional

CAIRO – 15 February 2025: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas firmly rejected any calls aimed at the displacement of the Palestinian people from their homeland amid US President Donald Trump’s proposal to “take” Gaza and relocate its residents to neighboring countries.

“Anyone who believes they can impose a new “Deal of the Century” or displace our people and seize any span of our land is delusional,” Abbas said, in reference of Trump’s so-called peace plan he announced in January 2020 to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The plan, which deprives Palestinians of East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state, has been roundly rejected by both the Palestinian people and the Arab world.

Speaking during the 38th African Union Summit on Saturday in Addis Ababa, Abbas warned that such calls would only perpetuate violence in the region instead of fostering peace.

He further denounced the attempts to uproot Palestinians, aimed at “distracting the world from the war crimes, genocide, and destruction occurring in Gaza, as well as from the settlement activities and annexation efforts in the West Bank.”

Abbas emphasized that the only place for the 1.5 million refugees currently residing in Gaza is in their cities and villages from which they were displaced in 1948, in accordance with UN Resolution 194.

“Israeli colonial practices require urgent action from the international community and the United Nations Security Council before the spread of extremist forces that work to bury the two-state solution,” Abbas said.

Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty has underscored the importance of of initiating the early recovery and reconstruction in Gaza while ensuring that Palestinians remain on their land.#Egypt #Africa #MENAhttps://t.co/IPx4Mmrfzy

— Egypt Today Magazine (@EgyptTodayMag) February 14, 2025

Abbas highlighted the necessity of active participation in the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution to achieve international security and stability.

He also called for supporting the upcoming United Nations International Conference in Support of Israeli-Palestinian Peace in mid-June, aimed at garnering international recognition for the State of Palestine and full UN membership.

Over the past days, US President Donald Trump repeatedly threatened to take control of Gaza and relocate its residents to Egypt and Jordan, a proposal that has brought global condemnation and was rejected by the two Arab countries.

If implemented, Trump’s plan could extinguish hopes for the long-awaited and globally advocated two-state solution, allowing Israelis and Palestinians to coexist peacefully in separate states.

The Arab League, comprising all 22 Arab countries, warned that Trump’s proposal is “a recipe for instability.” Meanwhile, the European Union stated that Gaza “is an integral part of a future Palestinian state.”

In the wake of Trump's proposals, Cairo has announced hosting an emergency meeting for Arab leaders on February 27 to “address the critical developments regarding the Palestinian cause.”