No desire in US Senate to control Gaza: Graham

KABUL (Pajhwok): Republican Senator Lindsey Graham says, there is no desire in the Senate for the US to take control of Gaza in any way.

Earlier, President Donald Trump had insisted on owning the Gaza land, but Hamas said “the enclave was not for sale” and Palestinian would not allow anyone to make a deal on their territory.

The foreign ministers of some Arab countries, such as Qatar, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Palestine, warned in a joint statement such a move would destabilise the region and pave the way for new wars.

According to Reuters, on Monday Senator Graham rejected the Trump’s proposal for owning Gaza and relocation of Palestinians to another place.

Graham said: “There is no desire in the Senate for the US to take control of Gaza in any way.”

Democrat Senator Richard Blumenthal, meanwhile, said he expected Arab states to put forward a workable alternative.

According to Blumenthal, Jordanian King Abdullah II said the Arab states would put another alternative, including the normalisation of relations with Israel, self-determination for Palestinians, regional defence arrangements and security for Israel.

If the components were part of a realistic plan, it could make a big difference for the region, he believed.

After Trump spelled out his plan, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggested Palestinian be relocated to Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia and Qatar slammed Netanyahu’s remarks, saying the Palestinians in Gaza were not migrants. They asked Israel to vacate their land, slamming the relocation plan as a blatant violation of international law.

aw/mud