Canadian politicians are firmly rejecting former U.S. President Donald Trump’s controversial proposal to clear Palestinians out of the Gaza Strip and turn the territory into a U.S.-owned resort. The pushback comes as Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz suggested that countries like Canada, with structured immigration programs, could resettle Gazans willing to leave the region.
Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly reiterated Canada’s support for Palestinians’ right to self-determination, stating on social media platform X, “We support Palestinians’ right to self-determination, including from being forcibly displaced from Gaza.” Joly emphasized Canada’s long-standing position advocating for a two-state solution, where a Palestinian state coexists peacefully alongside Israel.
Trump’s proposal, which he reiterated on Thursday, has been widely criticized by human rights organizations as amounting to ethnic cleansing. Israeli Minister Katz’s comments about resettling Gazans abroad have further fueled the debate, with Katz specifically mentioning Canada as a potential destination due to its immigration programs.
However, Canada’s current resettlement program for Gazans is limited to those with relatives in Canada and is capped at 5,000 applications. As of the latest data, only a small fraction of applicants have successfully arrived in Canada. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada has not provided updated figures, but reports indicate that just 616 people have arrived under the temporary program.
International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen, Justice Minister Arif Virani, and NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh were among the Canadian politicians who condemned Trump’s proposal. In a joint statement, Hussen, Virani, and other Liberal MPs called the idea “preposterous and a complete violation of international law,” adding that it “amounts to ethnic cleansing.”
The Palestinian ambassador in Ottawa, Mona Abuamara, countered by suggesting that Israeli settlers in occupied Palestinian territories should be the ones relocated. “If you don’t want to move forward, we can happily go back,” she wrote on X.
As the international community grapples with the ongoing conflict in Gaza, Canada remains committed to advocating for peace and stability in the region while rejecting proposals that undermine Palestinian rights.