Speaking at a news conference alongside Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Tuesday, Mr Trump said the Palestinian territory could be redeveloped into the “Riviera of the Middle East”.

Senior US government officials have since tried to downplay the remarks, suggesting Palestinians would only be temporarily displaced.

Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, said yesterday: “President Trump’s remarks calling for the forcible transfer of Palestinians from the occupied Gaza Strip must be unequivocally and widely condemned.

“His language is inflammatory, outrageous and shameful, and his proposal amounts to a flagrant violation of international law.

“Any plan to forcibly deport Palestinians outside the occupied territory against their will is a war crime, and when committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack on the civilian population, it would constitute a crime against humanity.”

She added: “In the face of President Trump’s dangerous threats, it’s more important than ever for the rest of the international community to categorically reject these proposals and expedite diplomatic efforts, in line with international law, to end Israel’s unlawful occupation, dismantle apartheid and uphold human rights for Palestinians and Israelis.

“History has abundantly demonstrated that sidelining international law for political expediency is a recipe for the perpetuation of violations.

“Amnesty International also warns against the misuse of desperately needed humanitarian aid and reconstruction as a bargaining chip or as a means to coerce Palestinians in Gaza into leaving.

“No state is entitled to treat a protected population living under occupation as pawns in a geopolitical chess game.”

Lama Fakih, Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch (HRW), said: “Much of the destruction in Gaza reflects a calculated Israeli policy to make parts of the strip unliveable.

“Standing beside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whose government was responsible for this policy and is wanted for atrocity crimes by the International Criminal Court, President Donald Trump suggested displacing Palestinians on an even larger scale and ‘taking over’ Gaza as potential US policy in light of the destruction in Gaza.

“It would move the US from being complicit in war crimes to direct perpetration of atrocities.”

She added: “Governments should together make clear their strong opposition to Trump’s call for forced displacement in Gaza and take action to prevent further atrocities against the Palestinian people.”