United States President Donald Trump has mentioned the US will “take over” and “personal” Gaza after resettling Palestinians elsewhere, pitching a rare 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 the direction of the Israeli-Palestinian battle, Trump mentioned on Tuesday that his administration would spearhead an financial growth plan within the enclave that might “provide limitless numbers of jobs and housing for the folks of the world”.
“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 could be answerable for clearing destroyed buildings and dismantling “harmful unexploded bombs and different weapons”.
Trump mentioned he envisioned the US taking a “long-term possession place” over the enclave.
“This was not a choice made calmly. Everyone I’ve spoken to loves the thought of america proudly owning that piece of land, growing and creating 1000’s of jobs with one thing that can be magnificent,” he mentioned.
Trump expressed his hope that displaced Palestinians in Gaza would “go to different international locations of curiosity with humanitarian hearts”, although he advised Palestinians would additionally proceed residing there.
The US president mentioned Gaza may turn into residence to the “world’s folks”.
“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 now – Palestinians additionally, Palestinians will reside there,” he mentioned. “Many individuals will reside there.”
“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
Requested if US troopers may very well 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 important. If it’s obligatory, we’ll do this,” he mentioned.
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”.
Trump’s proposals drew swift condemnation from Palestinian activists.
“He’s primarily saying that, formally US coverage now’s the destruction of Palestinian society, the scattering of Palestinians to neighbouring international locations, and on high of that, for [the] US to come back and personal Palestinian territory indefinitely,” political analyst Omar Baddar advised 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 could go towards all norms and worldwide regulation. This isn’t one thing that might be permitted to occur,” Ayoub advised Al Jazeera.
“However at this level, you’ve bought to ask your self in case 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 growth undertaking for america authorities to personal or take over”.
“Gaza belongs to the Palestinian folks. 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.
“I’ve information for you – we aren’t taking up Gaza. However the media and the chattering class will concentrate on it for just a few days and Trump may have succeeded in distracting everybody from the true story – the billionaires seizing authorities to steal from common folks,” Chris Murphy, a Democratic senator for Connecticut, mentioned on X.
Trump’s extraordinary proposal is all however sure to roil the following spherical of negotiations to increase the delicate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Trump has repeatedly taken credit score for the ceasefire deal, which got here into impact on January 19, the day earlier than he took workplace, and blamed the international coverage of his predecessor Joe Biden for permitting the conflict in Gaza to start within the first place.
“No person did something for 4 years besides within the destructive,” Trump mentioned at one level throughout his information convention, referring to Biden’s time period in workplace. “Sadly, the weak point and incompetence of these previous 4 years [caused] the grave injury across the globe.”
Nonetheless, Trump has forged doubt on the energy of the ceasefire and whether or not it could final.
“The strikes may begin tomorrow,” Trump mentioned. “There’s not so much left to strike.”
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 section of the ceasefire had begun. If agreed to, that section would see the total withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and the releasing of all captives.
However Trump lashed out on the group in his remarks, praising Israel’s efforts to chop off sources to Gaza.
