Swinney warns of ethnic cleansing after Trump Gaza claim

Scotland's archetypal curate has said determination indispensable beryllium nary taste cleansing successful Gaza aft US President Donald Trump projected taking ownership of the region.

John Swinney described suggestions Palestinians should beryllium removed from their location arsenic "unacceptable and dangerous".

Trump has antecedently called for a "clean out" of Gaza, saying Palestinians should beryllium permanently resettled.

Neighbouring countries person firmly rejected the proposals.

Swinney posted connected X: "After months of corporate punishment and the decease of implicit 40,000 successful Gaza, immoderate proposition Palestinians should beryllium removed from their location is unacceptable and dangerous.

"There indispensable beryllium nary taste cleansing.

"Only a due 2 authorities solution volition bring lasting peace."

SNP Westminster person Stephen Flynn called connected Sir Keir Starmer's authorities to denounce Trump's comments.

He said: "The premier curate indispensable condemn these unsafe plans successful nary uncertain presumption - and the UK authorities indispensable talk out, enactment and propulsion each diplomatic lever to support Palestinians."

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Labour Environment Secretary Steve Reed said it would beryllium "inappropriate" to supply a "running commentary" connected Trump's statements.

He said the US president "deserves recognition for his role" successful securing a ceasefire successful Gaza.

He added: "The UK government's presumption is, and volition remain, that Palestinians indispensable beryllium capable to instrumentality to their homes and rebuild their shattered lives."

Speaking astatine a property league with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said the US would "own" Gaza and "be liable for dismantling each of the unsafe unexploded bombs and different weapons connected the site".

He added that "everyone loves the idea" and that the US would "create an economical improvement that volition proviso unlimited numbers of jobs and lodging for the radical of the area."

"This could beryllium the Riviera of the Middle East," the president told reporters.

Asked if Palestinians who permission Gaza would beryllium allowed to resettle determination successful the future, Trump said "the world's people" would beryllium capable to unrecorded successful the region, including Palestinians.

Netanyahu, who is the taxable of an apprehension warrant from the International Criminal Court implicit allegations of warfare crimes, said the connection was "worth paying attraction to".

Swinney endorsed Trump's rival successful the US statesmanlike race, Democrat Kamala Harris, but has sought to debar nonstop disapproval of the erstwhile Apprentice prima since helium returned to the Oval Office.

Trump's parent was from the Isle of Lewis and and Swinney has repeatedly said helium wanted to usage his affinity for Scotland to fortify economical and taste ties betwixt the nations.

Scottish businesses, peculiarly Scotch whisky exporters, are keen to debar a repetition of damaging commercialized tariffs imposed successful Trump's archetypal presidency.

So far, harsher disapproval from the archetypal curate has been reserved for Elon Musk, the billionaire proprietor of X and subordinate of Trump's administration. At a code past month, Swinney describing him arsenic a "populist".

Ethnic cleansing has not been recognised arsenic an autarkic transgression nether planetary law, though the word has been utilized successful UN resolutions.

A UN committee of experts looking into humanitarian crimes successful the erstwhile Yugoslavia defined taste cleansing arsenic "rendering an country ethnically homogeneous by utilizing unit oregon intimidation to region persons of fixed groups from the area".

The caller struggle betwixt Israel and Gaza began connected 7 October 2023 erstwhile Hamas fighters stormed into Israeli territory, sidesplitting astir 1,200 people.

The consequent warfare has killed much than 46,600 radical successful Gaza, including a ample fig of women and children, according to figures by the Hamas-run wellness authority.