Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin strongly opposes US President Trump’s proposal to forcibly evacuate Palestinians from Gaza, asserting that they must remain in their land.
A top Vatican official has rejected US President Donald Trump’s proposal to forcibly evacuate Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, saying the population “must remain in its land.”
“This is one of the fundamental points of the Holy See: no deportations,” Pietro Parolin, the secretary of state of the Holy See, told reporters at a summit between Italy and the Holy See, the Anadolu news agency reported, citing the Italian ANSA news agency.
“No deportations also because someone on the Italian side has underlined how this would create tension in the area,” he added.
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Parolin: “The Holy See is always attentive to what is happening in Gaza. The Palestinian population must be able to remain in their land: No deportation and this is one of the fundamental points.” https://t.co/FvaEC9f1sF
— Rich Raho (@RichRaho) February 14, 2025
Parolin is reported by Reuters as having said that: “Whoever was born and has lived in Gaza must remain on their land.” The news agency cited the Vatican’s official news outlet.
‘Makes No Sense’
According to the Times of Israel, Parolin said that such forced displacement “makes no sense” considering that neighboring countries such as Jordan opposed the proposal.
“The solution in our opinion is that of two states because this also means giving hope to the population,” he reportedly stated.
Trump’s Vision for Gaza: A ‘Riviera’ Built on Ethnic Cleansing
Trump has been widely condemned for remarks earlier this month about “owning Gaza” and turning it into “the Riviera of the Middle East.” He urged the relocation of Palestinians to Jordan and Egypt, a proposal rejected by the two nations and slammed by several other countries.
Pope’s Condemnation
Pope Francis has previously condemned Israel’s genocidal onslaught on Gaza that began in October 2023 and was brought to a halt by the ceasefire that came into effect in January.
Last month, the Pope described the humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian enclave as both “very serious and shameful,” according to remarks conveyed by an aide during his annual address to diplomats.
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“We cannot in any way accept the bombing of civilians,” the address read. “We cannot accept that children are freezing to death because hospitals have been destroyed or a country’s energy network has been hit”.
In November, he described Israel’s bombing of children in Gaza as an act of “cruelty.”
“This is cruelty, this is not war,” he reportedly told members of the Holy See’s government.
Staggering Death Toll
His statement followed a report from Gaza’s Civil Defense rescue agency that an Israeli airstrike in the northern part of the enclave killed 10 members of a family, including seven children.
Israel faces charges of genocide brought by South Africa, and supported by several other countries, at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in December 2023.
Over 60,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 100,000 injured in Israel’s 15-month-long military assault on the Gaza Strip which began in October 2023. A fragile ceasefire that came into effect on January 19 has brought the onslaught to a halt.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
