Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has dismissed a proposal by the United States to relocate Palestinians from the war-ravaged Gaza Strip, calling it an impractical and futile plan.
Speaking in Tehran during a meeting with Ziyad al-Nakhalah, the leader of the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad, Khamenei stated that “the idiotic American plans or some other plans regarding Gaza and Palestine will go nowhere.”
The proposal, attributed to former U.S. President Donald Trump, suggested a U.S.-led takeover of Gaza, with Palestinian inhabitants being relocated to Egypt and Jordan. The plan has sparked widespread condemnation from Arab nations, including Egypt and Jordan, as well as from global leaders and the United Nations, which warned against potential “ethnic cleansing” in the Palestinian enclave.
Khamenei asserted that no solution could be implemented without the approval of Palestinian resistance groups and the people of Gaza. “Global public opinion is in favor of the Palestinians,” he added.
Iran had previously rejected Trump’s plan, labeling it a violation of international law and the UN Charter.
Khamenei also referenced the ongoing prisoner exchange between Hamas and Israel, highlighting that despite previous Israeli claims of seeking to dismantle Palestinian resistance, they are now negotiating with Palestinian groups for the return of their captives.
The war in Gaza erupted following Hamas-led attacks on Israeli communities on October 7, 2023. Under a fragile truce that began on January 19, a phased exchange of hostages and prisoners has been taking place. So far, Hamas has released 19 Israeli hostages, with 14 still held—eight of whom Israel claims are dead. Hamas has announced plans to release six living hostages on Saturday, followed by the bodies of four dead captives on Thursday.
( Channel TV)
