The Rosary Sisters nun who shared life with Gazans under Hamas rule as well as the suffering of war spoke to AsiaNews about the US president’s statement in favour of expelling Palestinians from Gaza to turn it into a “Riviera” of the Middle East. For her, Palestinians must be able to live on their own land; otherwise, it would be “like telling the American people to abandon their land”.

Jerusalem (AsiaNews) – “It is unimaginable to think that the inhabitants of Gaza could leave their land, their country,” said Sister Nabila Saleh, an Egyptian member of the Congregation of the Rosary Sisters, speaking to AsiaNews, after US President Donald Trump’s statement about removing Palestinians.

During a meeting in Washington with Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu, the US leader, with the satisfied support of his guest, proposed to remove people from Gaza during reconstruction, permanently transferring them to Arab third countries, including Egypt and Jordan. At the same time, he said he would turn Gaza into the "Riviera” of the Middle East.

"It is not possible to support President Trump's position. It's like telling the American people to abandon their land . . . It's the same!” said the nun, who experienced firsthand the war between Israel and Hamas for many months, managing to leave Gaza only in early April last year with a group of parishioners.

Trump, who wants to redraw the map of the Middle East, has sparked criticism and outrage in much of the Arab world and the international community.

His plan calls for the permanent mass "transfer" of Palestinians from Gaza to unspecified places that will be "so beautiful" that they "will not want to return", while the United States will take long-term control of Gaza and turn it into a mega "resort" by the sea.

Next to him sat a radiant Netanyahu, the first foreign leader welcomed to the White House in Trump’s second term, who called the US leader, “the greatest friend Israel has ever had”.

Eventually, the US president suggested that some Palestinians would still be present in a post-reconstruction Gaza, but without specifying who will be able to return and under what criteria.

Trump made no reference to the two-state solution and did not want to say whether he was in favour or against it.

While Trump's words and plan enjoy the unconditional support of Israel, the Arab and Muslim world are steadfastly opposed to it, starting with Saudi Arabia which, according to the White House, should normalise relations with the Jewish state.

The Saudi response was immediate through the Foreign Ministry, which stated that the kingdom’s commitment to a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine is "firm and unwavering" as a condition for any agreement.

“Saudi Arabia will continue its relentless efforts to establish an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without that,” reiterated Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in a statement posted by the Foreign Ministry on X.

Reacting to the US leader’s statement, Hamas said that the proposal will just set the region on fire, while a  spokesman for the group, Sami Abu Zuhri, called it “ridiculous and absurd”.

Sister Nabila Saleh lived in Gaza for 13 years and experienced the violence of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict firsthand, although the intensity of the war triggered by the Hamas attack on 7 October 2023 is without precedent.

The nun spent over six months as a refugee in the Church of the Holy Family together with more than 650 displaced Christians, under the bombs and in desperate humanitarian conditions, taking care of the most vulnerable.

Last June she spoke about her experience at the Centro PIME in Milan (see video) together with other Sisters, including Sister Bertilla Murj and Sister Martina Bader, both from Jordan, who worked for a long time in Gaza.

Previously, in a private meeting, Archbishop Mario Delpini of Milan gave her the Fuoco Dentro (Fire Inside) Award granted by the Archdiocese of Milan to “Women and men who change the world”.

"A people has the right to live in their own country, in their land,” insisted Sister Nabila Saleh, who is currently in Jordan. “These established principles are basic human rights upheld by international organisations.”

During the war in Gaza, the nun experienced horrific moments like the attack against St Porphyry Greek Orthodox Church or when the Israeli army killed two Christian women in cold blood in front of her eyes.

“The majority of those who have fled  south are returning to the north," said the nun, who has remained in contact with the Holy Family parish.

“Even if there are many difficulties, because there is nothing left and the situation is very difficult, trust in God remains.” Meanwhile, “a feeling of being victims of a profound injustice remains and a miracle from heaven is needed for true peace.”

Finally, Mgr William Shomali, auxiliary bishop of Jerusalem and patriarchal vicar for Palestine, also categorically rejected Trump's plan.

Speaking to the Servizio Informazione Religiosa (SIR), the prelate described as "inconceivable" the displacement of a people "against its will", just as "it is unthinkable" to force another one to take them. At most, Egypt and Jordan should be able to make a “free and conscious choice”.

Even in the case of a temporary transfer of the inhabitants to rehabilitate the territory, "the right of return" must be guaranteed.

"I think," he said, "that Trump and Netanyahu want to build settlements in Gaza, leaving only a small number of Palestinians the opportunity to return:” The president’s statement "shocked us because they make us understand their intentions for the future of Gaza.”

Finally, the vicar points out that “Trump and Netanyahu never talk about UN resolutions and the two people, two-state solution" and neither leader "can take the place of the United Nations”.

• gaza
• israel
• palestine
• sister nabila saleh
• william shomali
• trump
• netanyahu
• transfer
• ethnic cleansing
• genocide