The Gaza Strip is “not a business deal” but is part of a Palestinian nation that has a legitimate right to exist under international law, the Palestinian ambassador to Ireland has said.
“We are a nation, we’re not nothing in this world,” Jilan Wahba Abdalmajid told The Irish Times on Wednesday. “Every Palestinian on this earth believes in our just cause. We are deeply rooted in Palestine and no one has the right to uproot us from our land. We will never give up our land, we will not go back to another Balfour Declaration.”
Ms Abdalmajid, who was appointed the first Palestinian ambassador to Ireland in November 2024, was speaking following Donald Trump’s proposal to take over the Gaza Strip and build a “Riviera of the Middle East”.
During a press conference with eIsrael’s prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, Mr Trump said he planned to end the decades of conflict in Gaza by relocating its 1.8 million Palestinian inhabitants to neighbouring countries and building “something spectacular” on the strip.
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Ms Abdalmajid acknowledged the US president was famously unpredictable but said his latest comments were “beyond anyone’s expectation”. Mr Trump is treating the Palestinian people “like something that does not exist, like we’re dust in the air”, she said.
“He’s talking about Gaza as if it’s a business deal, as if the land doesn’t belong to people. They have a legitimate right to that land that is recognised by international law.
“Do you think the people who survived through all the misery and savagery [of the war on Gaza] will just give up their rights? No, they will not leave and no one on earth can force the Palestinian to leave that land.”
More than 46,000 people were killed during the 15 months of war in Gaza, with just over half of identified victims being women, children or older people, according to Palestinian health authorities. The conflict was sparked by the October 7th Hamas-led attacks on Israel during which 1,200 people were killed and 250 were taken as hostages. In January, a three-stage ceasefire was announced after months of negotiations. However, unrest continues in the West Bank, where the UN described “shocking scenes” of violence this week and warned the instability could undermine the Gaza ceasefire and lead to “a new escalation”.
Mr Trump’s proposal to “take over the Gaza Strip” represents a “serious violation of international law”, said Ms Abdalmajid. “Gaza Strip is part of the land of the state of Palestine, along with the West Bank, including East Jerusalem and the 1967 borders.”
She urged the international community to “take action” following the US president’s comments, warning that Gaza may just be the first in a list of countries where Mr Trump plans to exhort control.
“The international community must stand up for this because today is Gaza, tomorrow is Greenland, after tomorrow is Canada. The new American administration is trying to control the whole world and no one is saying anything.
“We don’t want any more statements just saying ‘we support you’. We need actions. I’m not saying attack but you have to stand up for your rights. We are a nation in the world, we’re not businesses or companies.”
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