Guterres calls for full Gaza ceasefire, rejecting ‘ethnic cleansing

By Zeeshan Shamsi from New York: UN chief Antonio Guterres has warned against ethnic cleansing after US President Donald Trump proposed removing Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and "resettling” them elsewhere. In a statement Sectary General United Nation urged that "In the search for solutions, we must not make the problem worse. It is vital to stay true to the bedrock of international law. He said It is essential to avoid any form of ethnic cleansing.” Guterres said, without mentioning Trump directly. Though it has no precise definition in international law, ethnic cleansing is generally understood to mean the systematic forced displacement of an ethnic, racial or religious group with the intent of creating an ethnically homogenous geographic area. Guterres’s spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told reporters: "Any forced displacement of people is tantamount to ethnic cleansing.” The US administration later seemed to walk back Trump’s plans, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt saying the "resettlement” would be temporary.