Erdogan rejects Trump’s Gaza proposal: Nothing worth discussing

Author: Published: February 10, 2025

Turkish President blasts Trump’s plan for the Gaza Strip, claims it was influenced by “the Zionist leadership”.

Elad Benari

Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Recep Tayyip ErdoganREUTERS/Umit Bektas

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday blasted US President Donald Trump’s plan for the Gaza Strip, stating that no one has the authority to expel Gazans from their homeland, while claiming Trump’s plan was influenced by Israel.

“No one has the power to remove the people of Gaza from their eternal homeland that has been around for thousands of years,” Erdogan stated during a late-night press conference at Istanbul airport before departing for Malaysia, as quoted by AFP.

He reiterated Turkey’s stance on Palestinian Arab sovereignty, emphasizing, “Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem belong to the Palestinians.”

“The proposals on Gaza put forward by the new US administration under pressure from the Zionist leadership have nothing worth discussing from our point of view,” remarked Erdogan.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also rejected the idea of displacing Palestinians from Gaza during an interview with Palestinian Arab television earlier that day.

“The displacement of Palestinians is unacceptable,” he said, as quoted by Turkey’s state news agency Anadolu, calling Trump’s proposal historically uninformed.

Trump unveiled his plan this past Tuesday in a joint press conference with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, suggesting that the US would take over Gaza and relocate its residents to neighboring countries while the Strip is rehabilitated.

While Arab countries have criticized the plan, Netanyahu praised Trump’s plan during an interview with Fox News on Wednesday and said, “This is the first good idea that I’ve heard. It’s a remarkable idea. And I think it should be really examined, pursued and done, because I think it will create a different future for everyone.”

On Sunday, Trump told reporters that he remains committed to buying and owning Gaza, but added he could give sections of the Strip to other states in the Middle East to help in the rebuilding effort.

Speaking aboard Air Force One, the President said that he will “turn Gaza into a prime location for future development.”

Trump also said that he will be meeting soon with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and with Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, adding he expects both will agree to take in Gazan refugees after speaking to him.

IDF confirms: IAF aircraft carried out strikes on Syria-Lebanon border

Author: Published: February 10, 2025
  

A short while ago, IAF aircraft conducted a precise intelligence-based strike on an underground tunnel crossing from Syrian territory into Lebanese territory that was used by Hezbollah to smuggle weapons in the Beqaa area and has been struck in the past. The IDF is determined to prevent the restoration and use of this tunnel.

Additionally, the IAF struck several Hezbollah sites containing munitions and rocket launchers that posed an imminent threat in Lebanese territory.

The IDF stated that targets struck were a violation of the understandings between Israel and Lebanon.

Khamenei faces pressure from IRGC to rescind fatwa banning nuclear weapons – report

Author: Published: February 9, 2025

We have never been this vulnerable, and it may be our last chance to obtain one before it’s too late,” an official was cited as saying.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Updated: FEBRUARY 9, 2025 11:10
Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei over an Iranian flag. (photo credit: Canva, OFFICIAL KHAMENEI WEBSITE/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS, SHUTTERSTOCK)
Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei over an Iranian flag.
(photo credit: Canva, OFFICIAL KHAMENEI WEBSITE/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS, SHUTTERSTOCK)
A number of senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commanders have urged Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, to rescind a fatwa (religious decree) prohibiting nuclear weapons in the face of threats from the West, according to a Saturday The Telegraph report, citing Iranian officials.

In 2005, during an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) convention, an official statement was made regarding a fatwa Khamenei signed which stated Islam banned nuclear weapons.

“The leader has forbidden negotiations with the Americans and the development of nuclear weapons, which seem to be the only ways for survival [of the regime], and he’s driving the regime toward collapse,” an official was cited as saying.

“We have been just a few button presses away from building a nuclear weapon for some time now, but the pressures and justifications for having one are greater than ever,” the official added.

The official described the “existential threat” he claimed his country faced from the West.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during the annual National Prayer Breakfast at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., February 6, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)Enlrage image
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during the annual National Prayer Breakfast at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., February 6, 2025. (credit: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)

“We have never been this vulnerable, and it may be our last chance to obtain one before it’s too late,” an official was cited as saying.

“The existential threat we now face has led several senior commanders – who previously insisted on following the supreme leader’s guidance – to push for making an atomic weapon,” an official noted.

Officials have made similar statements in the past without commenting on the fatwa.

“We have no decision to build a nuclear bomb, but should Iran’s existence be threatened, there will be no choice but to change our military doctrine,” advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader, Kamal Kharrazi, said back in May 2024.

Trump on Iran deal

Last week, US President Donald Trump said he would reinstate his “maximum pressure” policy on Iran.

He stated he wished to see a verified nuclear peace agreement with Iran, which would render the Islamic Republic non-nuclear.

On Wednesday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi addressed US fears regarding his country’s development of nuclear weapons.

“Iran’s position is clear: it is a member of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, and the Supreme Leader’s fatwa has already clarified our stance [against weapons of mass destruction],” Araqchi said.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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