President Donald Trump revealed an extraordinary plan for the United States to “take over” the Gaza Strip, resettle Palestinians in other countries – seemingly whether they wanted to leave or not – and turn the territory into “the Riviera of the Middle East”.
He made the stunning proposal during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom he was hosting at the White House for crucial talks on the truce with Hamas.
In a scheme that lacked details on how he would move out more than two million Palestinians or control Gaza, Mr Trump said he would make the war-battered enclave “unbelievable” by removing unexploded bombs and rubble and economically redeveloping it.
The US will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it, too. We’ll own it,” he said.
Mr Trump said there was support from the “highest leadership” in the Middle East as he doubled down on his call for Palestinians to move out of the war-battered territory to Middle Eastern countries such as Egypt and Jordan, despite the Palestinians and both nations flatly rejecting his suggestion.
Suggesting “long-term ownership” by the United States, he said his plan for Gaza would make it “the Riviera of the Middle East. This could be something that could be so magnificent.”
Key US ally Netanyahu said Mr Trump’s plan could “change history” and was worth “paying attention to”.
Mr Netanyahu was making the first visit of a foreign leader to the White House since Mr Trump’s return to power, for what were billed as talks on securing a second phase of the Israel-Hamas truce after an initial six-week ceasefire.
Miserable existence
But it quickly turned into the shock revelation of a plan that would completely transform the face of the Middle East.
Mr Trump, who also floated travelling to Gaza, appeared to suggest it would not be rebuilt for Palestinians.
“It should not go through a process of rebuilding and occupation by the same people that have really stood there and fought for it and lived there and died there and lived a miserable existence there,” he said.
Mr Trump said Gaza’s two million inhabitants should instead “go to other countries of interest with humanitarian hearts”.
The Palestinian envoy to the UN had pushed back strongly at Mr Trump’s suggestions earlier on Feb 4 for his people to be resettled.
“Our homeland is our homeland,” said Mr Riyad Mansour.
“And I think that leaders and people should respect the wishes of the Palestinian people.”
Gazans have also denounced Mr Trump’s idea.
“Trump thinks Gaza is a pile of garbage – absolutely not,” said 34-year-old Hatem Azzam, a resident of the southern city of Rafah.
Mr Trump was vague on the details of how he would execute the takeover plan, but hinted that it could require US boots on the ground in one of the most volatile places on earth “if necessary.”
It is not the first time the former property tycoon has spoken about the Palestinian territory in terms of real estate, saying in October it could be “better than Monaco”.
Standing at a podium beside Mr Trump, Mr Netanyahu hailed Mr Trump as Israel’s “greatest friend” and praised his “willingness to think outside the box”.
The two have had tense relations in the past, but Mr Netanyahu has seized on the Republican’s return to power after his ties with former president Joe Biden became increasingly strained over the death toll in Gaza since Israel’s invasion.
The Israeli leader would not rule out a return to hostilities with Hamas, or with its other foes in the region including Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Iran.
“We will end the war by winning the war,” Mr Netanyahu insisted, while also vowing to secure the return of all hostages held by Hamas.
He did voice confidence that a deal with regional rival Saudi Arabia to normalise relations was “going to happen”.
But after Mr Trump aired his proposal, Saudi Arabia said it would not formalise ties with Israel unless a Palestinian state is established.
Mr Trump’s grand Gaza plan however is set to face harsh opposition from Palestinians and Middle Eastern countries.
Egypt, Jordan and ceasefire mediator Qatar have all flatly rejected Mr Trump’s suggestion of moving Palestinians from Gaza.
The war began when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct 7, 2023, taking into Gaza 251 hostages, 76 of whom are still held in the Palestinian territory including 34 the Israeli military says are dead.
Hamas’ attack resulted in the deaths of 1,210 people on Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.
Israel’s retaliatory response has killed at least 47,518 people in Gaza, the majority civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry. The UN considers these figures as reliable.
The truce that took effect on Jan 18 has led to a surge of food, fuel, medical and other aid into Gaza, and allowed people displaced by the war to return to the north of the Palestinian territory.
But since the Gaza ceasefire took effect, Israel has launched a deadly operation against militants in the occupied West Bank’s north.
.AFP