United States President Donald Trump has mentioned the US will “take over” and “personal” Gaza after resettling Palestinians elsewhere beneath a unprecedented redevelopment plan that he claimed may flip the enclave into “the Riviera of the Center East”.
In a shock announcement upending a long time of US coverage in direction of the Israeli-Palestinian battle, Trump mentioned on Tuesday that his administration would spearhead financial improvement within the enclave to “provide limitless numbers of jobs and housing for the individuals of the realm”.
“The US will take over the Gaza Strip and we’ll do a job with it, too. We’ll personal it,” Trump mentioned on the White Home after talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, including that his administration can be liable for clearing destroyed buildings and dismantling “harmful unexploded bombs and different weapons”.
Hamas, the Palestinian group that governs Gaza, swiftly condemned the proposal as a “recipe for creating chaos and stress within the area”.
“Our individuals within the Gaza Strip is not going to permit these plans to move,” the group mentioned in a press release.
“What’s required is an finish to the occupation and aggression in opposition to our individuals, not their expulsion from their land. Our individuals in Gaza have thwarted displacement and deportation plans beneath bombardment for greater than 15 months.”
In his remarks, Trump prompt the US would take a “long-term possession place” over the enclave.
“This was not a call made evenly. All people I’ve spoken to loves the thought of america proudly owning that piece of land, creating and creating 1000’s of jobs with one thing that can be magnificent,” he mentioned.
Providing few specifics about how his plan can be carried out, Trump expressed hope that displaced Palestinians in Gaza would “go to different nations of curiosity with humanitarian hearts”, although he prompt Palestinians would additionally proceed dwelling there.
The US president mentioned Gaza may turn out to be house to the “world’s individuals”.
“I believe you’ll make that into a global, unbelievable place. I believe the potential within the Gaza Strip is unbelievable. And I believe all the world – representatives from everywhere in the world can be there they usually’ll dwell there. Palestinians additionally, Palestinians will dwell there,” he mentioned.
“Many individuals will dwell there.”
Requested if US troopers might be despatched to Gaza to take care of safety, Trump mentioned it was a chance.
“So far as Gaza is worried, we’ll do what is critical. If it’s obligatory, we’ll try this,” he mentioned.
“The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we’ll do a job with it, too.” –President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/aCqLl9Gwwn
— President Donald J. Trump (@POTUS) February 5, 2025
Netanyahu, who praised Trump because the “biggest buddy” Israel has ever had, mentioned the US president’s plan was price “taking note of” and will “change historical past”.
“He sees a special future for that piece of land that has been the main focus of a lot terrorism, so many assaults in opposition to us, so many trials and so many tribulations,” Netanyahu mentioned.
Trump’s announcement was broadly condemned by Palestinian advocates.
“He’s primarily saying that, formally, US coverage now could be the destruction of Palestinian society, the scattering of Palestinians to neighbouring nations, and on high of that, for the US to return and personal Palestinian territory indefinitely,” political analyst and human rights advocate Omar Baddar instructed Al Jazeera.
“I don’t know what planet we live on the place these statements are popping out of the president of america.”
Abed Ayoub, government director on the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), described Trump’s proposal as “terrifying” and “insane”.
“It will go in opposition to all norms and worldwide regulation. This isn’t one thing that may be permitted to occur,” Ayoub instructed Al Jazeera.
“However at this level, you’ve acquired to ask your self should you take a look at the previous 12 months and a half: How a lot does the worldwide neighborhood, together with Israel, actually care about worldwide regulation and norms?”
Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, a Palestinian-American who’s a resident senior fellow on the Atlantic Council, mentioned that Gaza was not a “actual property improvement venture for america authorities to personal or take over”.
“Gaza belongs to the Palestinian individuals. Distracting from the necessity to provoke political transformation to make sure that Hamas doesn’t stay in management is pointless and dangerous,” Alkhatib mentioned on X.
Democratic lawmakers additionally forged doubt on Trump’s proposal.
Rashida Tlaib, the only Palestinian member of the US Congress, accused Trump of “brazenly calling for ethnic cleaning whereas sitting subsequent to a genocidal battle prison.”
“He’s completely tremendous slicing off working Individuals from federal funds whereas the funding to the Israeli authorities continues flowing,” Tlaib, who represents a district in Michigan within the Home of Representatives, mentioned on X.
Chris Murphy, a Democratic senator for Connecticut, mentioned Trump’s proposal was an try to distract from controversies at house.
“I’ve information for you – we aren’t taking up Gaza,” Murphy mentioned on X. “However the media and the chattering class will concentrate on it for a number of days and Trump may have succeeded in distracting everybody from the actual story – the billionaires seizing authorities to steal from common individuals.”
Trump has repeatedly referred to as on Egypt and Jordan to simply accept displaced Palestinians, however the Arab states have rejected his appeals, warning that resettling residents of the enclave would danger exacerbating battle within the area and subvert efforts to achieve a two-state answer.
Responding to Trump’s proposals, Saudi Arabia mentioned it might oppose any try to displace Palestinians and wouldn’t set up relations with Israel with out the creation of a Palestinian state.
“The proposal for Gazans to go away Gaza would face vital authorized, political, and sensible challenges, and would probably be met with sturdy opposition from the worldwide neighborhood and regional actors,” Alam Saleh, a Center East knowledgeable on the Australian Nationwide College, instructed Al Jazeera.
Trump’s extraordinary proposal casts a pall of uncertainty over the following spherical of negotiations to increase the delicate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
The preliminary 42-day truce, which can see the discharge of 33 Israeli captives and almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, expires on March 1.
On Tuesday, a spokesperson for the Palestinian group Hamas mentioned that negotiations for a second part of the ceasefire had begun. If agreed to, that part would see the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and the releasing of all captives.
Trump on Tuesday forged doubt on the power of the settlement and the chance it might final.
“The strikes may begin tomorrow,” Trump mentioned. “There’s not so much left to strike.”
