Senator Loren Legarda on Friday, February 7 expressed serious condemnation of United States President Donald Trump’s alarming proposal to “take over” and “own” the Gaza Strip, along with the relocation of its Palestinian residents to neighboring countries such as Jordan and Egypt, saying she finds it “deeply troubling and unacceptable.”

Trump made the remark during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last Feb. 4, 2025. 

“It is deeply troubling and unacceptable that, after enduring 15 harrowing months of violence, and decades of continued oppression, Palestinians are now clinging on to the last fragments of their destroyed homes in Gaza face the cruel prospect of forced displacement,” Legarda stated.

“It is inconceivable that, in the 21st century, we are witnessing proposals for the mass expulsion of an entire population, effectively erasing them from their homeland, stripping away their identity, and reducing them to permanent refugees. Such an act is not only unconscionable but echoes the darkest chapters of history,” the senator emphasized.

The American president’s pronouncement comes just weeks after a ceasefire and hostage-release deal was brokered between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, following relentless conflict that has left Gaza in devastation, with nearly 62,000 Palestinians killed.

According to Trump, US will have “long-term ownership” of Gaza and will reconstruct it into the “Riviera of the Middle East” with the “world’s people” living there. 

Gaza is home to approximately 2.1 million people after the war, nearly 47 percent of whom are children under the age of 18, and has suffered catastrophic damage. 

Legarda noted that around 92 percent of its housing units have been destroyed, and critical infrastructure, including water and electricity systems, hospitals, schools, mosques, churches, and cultural landmarks, has been severely damaged.

The senator insists Gaza “is not a token to be owned, traded, or negotiated away.” 

“It belongs to the Palestinian people, and it must remain theirs. To suggest otherwise, under the pretext of redevelopment, is a grave injustice that must not be tolerated. Any efforts to rebuild Gaza must make it unequivocally clear that the Palestinians will remain on their land,” she added. 

Legarda pointed out Trump’s plan is a “blatant disregard for the most basic principles of the international law.” It covers the prohibition against the annexation of territory by force and the forcible resettlement of populations in occupied territories, which often entails conditions that attack the civilian population, potentially amounting to crimes against humanity. 

“What catastrophic consequences might follow if we allow such brazen violations of international law to continue unchallenged, now reaching unprecedented levels? I simply cannot remain silent on this matter because indifference will only encourage other nations to pursue territorial expansion through aggression without fear of accountability,” she stressed.

“Silence will normalize this, and I will not be complicit. International law exists precisely to prevent such transgressions and safeguard global stability,” Legarda stressed.

Legarda said the international community, of which the Philippines is part of, should “reject, without reservation, any proposals that bear even the faintest shadow of ethnic cleansing.”

She noted that regardless of whether Trump’s remarks were made in earnest or as political posturing, they carry dangerous implications that the international community should not ignore. 

She said there must be immediate diplomatic efforts to address the situation and reaffirm the global commitment to justice and human rights. 

“While such actions clearly constitute violations of international law, the pressing question remains: who will step in to prevent them? We must focus on meaningful, sustainable solutions that pave the way for a just and stable future, grounded in the principles of international law,” Legarda stressed.