Malaysia has issued a firm statement opposing any initiatives that would involve the forced relocation of Palestinians from Gaza, responding to former US President Donald Trump's recent proposal, AFP reported. Trump had suggested a US-led reconstruction of Gaza into a "Riviera of the Middle East," though the plan lacked specifics about the fate of Gaza's nearly 2mn Palestinian residents.

The Malaysian foreign ministry stressed that forced displacement would constitute ethnic cleansing and violate both international law and UN resolutions. In doing so Malaysia is one of the first nations in Southeast Asia to openly opposed the idea. The ministry stated that unilateral solutions ignoring Palestinian self-determination rights would only worsen the region's long-standing conflict.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who has consistently opposed Israel's military campaign against Hamas, maintains that his country has diplomatic ties with Hamas's political wing but not its military branch. Malaysia, which does not have diplomatic relations with Israel, has provided $10.19mn in humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza since the conflict began following Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.

Following Trump's announcement, US administration officials clarified that the United States would neither deploy troops nor use taxpayer funds for Gaza's reconstruction.

Malaysia's position aligns with its long-standing support for Palestinian causes, reflecting the widespread pro-Palestinian sentiment in the Muslim-majority nation.