Vatican's top diplomat criticises Gaza displacement plan

AMMAN — The chief diplomat of the Holy See, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, has criticised US President Donald Trump's plan to displace Palestinians from Gaza and "take over" the war-torn Strip.

Cardinal Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, said one of the "key points" of what must happen in Gaza is "no deportations."

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a ceremony at the Embassy of Italy to the Holy See on Thursday, cardinal Parolin said that Palestinians must be allowed to remain on their territory. "No deportations, and this is one of the fundamental points.”

"Whoever was born and has lived in Gaza must remain on their land," the cardinal said, according to the Vatican's official news outlet.

Parolin reiterated the Vatican's long-standing call for a two-state solution to resolve the long-running Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

According to Vatican News, Parolin told reporters that "neighbouring countries are not willing [to take in refugees.]

Trump has said America will “take over” Gaza after resettling Palestinians elsewhere under a development plan to transform the war-torn coastal enclave into a waterfront resort property under US control.

Parolin's remarks came after Pope Francis issued an open letter to the US administration, in which he criticised its crackdown on immigrants.

The pope, who last month called Trump's plan to deport millions of migrants a "disgrace", said it was wrong to assume that all undocumented immigrants were criminals.

"What is built on the basis of force, and not on the truth about the equal dignity of every human being, begins badly and will end badly," he said in the open letter.