Trump’s Proposal On Gaza Strongly Condemned: Huge Impact On Environment And Social Justice

Palestinians cross the desiccated Wadi Gaza as they return home to northern Gaza last month. Pic: Ashraf Amra/Anadolu via Getty Images (via Yale Environment 360)

Sahabat Alam Malaysia (Friends of the Earth Malaysia), together with Friends of the Earth Asia Pacific strongly condemn U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent proposal on Gaza, which will have devastating consequences for the environment and social justice in the region.

Trump’s reported plan, which includes proposals for population displacement and potential economic projects, ignores the severe humanitarian and ecological crisis in Gaza. Not to mention, the forced removal of a group of people from an area is the very definition of ethnic cleansing. It is a violation of international law and a war crime

The destruction caused by 15 months of continuous bombing by occupation forces of Israel, including the bombardment of urban areas, has led to widespread environmental degradation, water contamination, and destruction of agricultural land, worsening the already dire living conditions for Palestinians.

We urge the international community to reject any proposal that violates international law, disregards environmental and social justice concerns. The path forward must focus on accountability, rebuilding Gaza with sustainable, environment-friendly solutions while ensuring respect for the fundamental rights of its people.

The U.S. must be held accountable for enabling Israel’s large-scale environmental destruction, which has poisoned Gaza’s air, contaminated its water supply, and crippled its sanitation and healthcare infrastructure. The deliberate targeting of water facilities, power grids, and agricultural land amounts to ecocide, leaving millions without access to clean drinking water, exposing them to disease, and rendering vast areas uninhabitable. This is not just a war on people but a war on the environment — one that will have long-term consequences for regional stability and the climate.

The forced displacement of Palestinians under Trump’s reported plan would further exacerbate this crisis, increasing pressure on fragile ecosystems and worsening water scarcity in host regions. Any so-called “reconstruction” efforts that ignore environmental and social justice concerns will only deepen the suffering of the Palestinian people.

We Demand Immediate Actions:

1. End Environmental Injustice. Israel and its allies must be held responsible for the ecological devastation in Gaza, including contamination of air and water.

2. Accountability for War Crimes Against the Environment. Attacks on vital infrastructure constitute violations of international environmental and humanitarian law.

3. Sustainable Reconstruction. Gaza must be rebuilt with a focus on clean water, renewable energy, and climate resilience.

4. Respect for Human Rights and Justice. The international community must reject any proposal that perpetuates occupation, displacement, and environmental destruction.

The world cannot remain silent while an environmental and humanitarian disaster unfolds. Sahabat Alam Malaysia and Friends of the Earth Asia Pacific stand in solidarity with the people of Gaza and call for urgent global intervention to end this grave injustice.

We stand in solidarity with the people of Gaza and demand an urgent, sustainable, and just resolution to the crisis.

 

 

Meenakshi Raman
President
Sahabat Alam Malaysia

Press Release, 10 February 2025