Donald Trump’s plan to “own” Gaza aims to destroy Palestinians, says William Schabas

Professor Schabas warns of Trump's plan to "own" Gaza aligning with Israeli extremists, risking conflict and violating international law.

The whole idea of U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to “own” Gaza aligns with the vision of Israeli extremists who seek to destroy the Palestinian people, William A. Schabas, Professor of International Law at Middlesex University, London, has said.

“Trump can own Gaza only if he pays to buy it. To do so, he would have to pay the Palestinians. But, they do not seem willing to sell. So, I do not see this happening legally,” he told The Hindu during a talk at the Cochin University of Science and Technology on Thursday (February 6). A leading expert on international human rights law, international criminal law, and genocide, Professor Schabas was on campus as part of the ‘Erudite Scholar-in-Residence’ programme.

He said that Israel’s military campaign is neither aimed at rescuing hostages nor defeating Hamas but at making continued life in Gaza impossible—an act that the International Court of Justice will address as genocide.

“My first concern is with the well-being and the rights of the Palestinian people. Trump is unsettling global politics in a way that, if it continues, it will lead to conflict and war. This is dangerous at this point. Since the United Nations was established, and even before that, international law has prohibited annexation and territorial border changes,” he said.

Professor Schabas said that the “rights of self-determination of the people, who live on the territory, have been put in peril by a man who has access to the most powerful army and to the most powerful economy. This will provoke resistance in various forms, making the planet more difficult for us to live,” he said.