Trump Pushes to Relocate Palestinians and Revamp Gaza under U.S. Control
During a White House Press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Tuesday evening, President Donald Trump suggested that the United States "take over" the Gaza Strip and permanently resettle Palestinians in Gaza outside the war-torn territory.
"The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it too," Trump said. "We'll make sure that it's done world-class. It'll be wonderful for the people — Palestinians, Palestinians mostly, we're talking about."
The president added that assuming "ownership" of the enclave would be part of a development project that would be known as "the Riviera of the Middle East," with "the world's people living there. … this could be so magnificent."
Regarding Palestinians in Gaza, Trump proposed they can be relocated to neighboring countries like Jordan and Egypt so they can live "safely" since Gaza is no longer suitable for living due to the Israel-Hamas war.
However, Egypt, Jordan, and other U.S. allies in the Mideast warned that the resettlement of the Gazan Palestinians would threaten Mideast stability and undermine a decades-long push by the U.S. and allies for a two-state solution, Associated Press reports. The Saudi Arabia government also rejected the idea in a statement, noting that their long-standing proposition for an independent Palestinian state was a "firm, steadfast and unwavering position."
"The duty of the international community today is to work to alleviate the severe human suffering endured by the Palestinian people, who will remain committed to their land and will not budge from it," the Saudi statement said.
Hamas likewise denounced Trump in a statement.
"We reject Trump's statements in which he said that the residents of the Gaza Strip have no choice but to leave, and we consider them a recipe for creating chaos and tension in the region," the group said.
Nevertheless, Trump maintained his resettlement plan for Palestinians in Gaza, contending that Egypt, Jordan, and other countries will ultimately take them in.
"You look over the decades, it's all death in Gaza," Trump said. "This has been happening for years. It's all death. If we can get a beautiful area to resettle people, permanently, in nice homes where they can be happy and not be shot and not be killed and not be knifed to death like what's happening in Gaza."
Trump also said he may consider deploying U.S. troops to support Gaza's reconstruction, envisioning "long-term" U.S. ownership of a redevelopment of the territory.
During the press conference, Netanyahu praised Trump as "the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House." The Israeli Prime Minister highlighted Trump's policies during his first presidential term, such as his recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, his withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, and facilitating the Abraham Accords, which restored diplomatic ties between Israel and Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.
"We did this in four months. Nothing happened for a quarter of a century, but in four months, we were able, working together under your leadership, to have four historic peace accords," Netanyahu said. "And now, in the first days of your second term, you picked up right where you left off [in] your leadership to help bring our hostages home."
He also commended the president for thinking outside the box and for getting the hostage and ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas.
"You say things others refuse to say. And after the jaws drop, people scratch their heads, and they say, 'You know he's right.'"
WATCH: President Trump Holds a Press Conference with Prime Minister Netanyahu of Israel
Photo Credit: ©YouTube/The White House
Originally published February 05, 2025.
