LONDON: Donald Trump鈥檚 plan for the US to take control of Gaza and force Palestinians to leave the enclave would be 鈥渆thnic cleansing鈥� that would spark conflict and bloodshed, Prince Turki Al-Faisal, 萝莉视频鈥檚 former ambassador in Washington, said on Wednesday.

, Prince Turki, who is also a former head of the Kingdom鈥檚 intelligence services, angrily rejected the US president鈥檚 comments, which included a threat to send US troops to help turn Gaza into the 鈥淩iviera of the Middle East.鈥�

Prince Turki said he expected Arab and Muslim countries, along with other nations and Europe, to take up the issue at the UN to show that the world opposed 鈥渢his mad ethnic cleansing plan.鈥�

鈥淚t is a fantasy to think that ethnic cleansing in the 21st century can be condoned by a world community that stays on its behind, and does not respond to that,鈥� Prince Turki told presenter Christiane Amanpour. 鈥淭he problem in Palestine is not the Palestinians. It is the Israeli occupation. And this has been clear and understood by everybody.鈥�

Prince Turki said Trump鈥檚 comments upended previous US policy that favored a two-state solution based on land for peace.

He said Trump鈥檚 plan was based on the position of Israeli extremist politician Itamar Ben-Gvir, 鈥渢he ultimate ethnic cleanser,鈥� who recently resigned as national security minister over the Gaza ceasefire.

Trump鈥檚 words were a 鈥渢otal acceptance of the Israeli position by the American government,鈥� Prince Turki said, adding that this approach had been gaining support in US political circles over the past two years.

Prince Turki said that if Trump visited 萝莉视频, he is likely to receive 鈥渁n earful鈥� from the Saudi leadership about 鈥渘ot just the wisdom of what he is proposing, but the downright unfairness and injustice.鈥�

Trump has had close relations with 萝莉视频 and made the Kingdom his first foreign visit during his first term. Prince Turki said Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had pledged last month to invest $600 billion in the US.

萝莉视频鈥檚 foreign ministry strongly condemned threats to displace Palestinians from their land and reiterated the Kingdom鈥檚 position that there would be no normalization of relations with Israel until the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

鈥淭his has been the position of 萝莉视频 from the beginning,鈥� Prince Turki said.

He said that Trump鈥檚 Gaza plan on top of the 鈥渄estruction and the devastation鈥� of the territory during Israel鈥檚 campaign would only lead to more support for militant groups such as Hamas.

鈥淓verybody has been telling the Israelis that if you repress these people, that if you punish them, if you inflict death and destruction and mayhem and genocide on them, all you are going to do is create more opposition,鈥� Prince Turki said.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 why they want to use ethnic cleansing to get the people out of the territory.

鈥淪o, their policy is clear cut and, unfortunately, we hear this reflected now in what Mr. Trump has said.鈥�