More than two-thirds of Democrats in the House of Representatives have urged President Donald Trump to retract remarks proposing a US "takeover" of the Gaza Strip, calling it "morally indefensible," according to a report Thursday.
Axios reported, citing a letter signed by 145 of the 215 House Democrats, that lawmakers warned that the move would "not only be morally indefensible," but harm the US' global standing, put American troops in harm's way and fuel terrorism.
The letter was led by Reps. Sean Casten from Illinois and Brad Sherman of California.
"We are alarmed that an American president would advocate for the forcible removal and permanent displacement of two million people," it said.
The lawmakers also argued that Trump's comments "risk jeopardizing the opportunity for the United States to work with our Arab partners" on the reconstruction of Gaza and finding a peaceful solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Trump announced plans to "take over" and "own" the Gaza Strip and transform it into the "Riviera of the Middle East" during a news conference last week with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Trump’s proposal to forcibly displace Palestinians, which has been widely rejected by Palestinians and the broader Arab and Muslim world, comes amid a fragile ceasefire agreement in Gaza on Jan. 19, pausing Israel’s 15-month onslaught, which has killed more than 48,200 people and left the enclave in ruins.
Israel has maintained a blockade on Gaza for years, effectively turning it into the world’s largest open-air prison.
According to the UN, nearly 2 million of Gaza's 2.3 million population have been displaced since the start of the war after an attack by the Palestinian group, Hamas, on Oct. 7, 2023. The population in Gaza faces dire shortages of food, water and medicine.
