SAHABAT Alam Malaysia (SAM) and Friends of the Earth Asia Pacific strongly condemn US President Donald Trump’s recent proposal for 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.
Furthermore, 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 Israel forces has led to widespread environmental degradation, water contamination, and destruction of agricultural land, worsening already dire living conditions for Palestinians.
We urge the international community to reject any proposal that violates international law and 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 US 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.
These are immediate actions that must be taken:
> End environmental injustice: Israel and its allies must be held responsible for the ecological devastation in Gaza, including contamination of air and water.
> Accountability for war crimes against the environment: Attacks on vital infrastructure constitute violations of international environmental and humanitarian law.
> Sustainable reconstruction: Gaza must be rebuilt with a focus on clean water, renewable energy, and climate resilience.
> 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. SAM 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 (SAM)
