President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. would take control of war-ravaged Gaza and transform it into a “Riviera of the Middle East.” This plan includes resettling Palestinians in other areas.
Trump’s statement marks a significant departure from decades of U.S. policy regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and has drawn regional condemnation.
An official from Hamas, the militant group that ruled Gaza before the recent conflict, dismissed Trump’s comments about taking over the region as “absurd.”
Saudi Arabia, a key regional player, quickly condemned the proposal. Trump hopes to establish ties between Saudi Arabia and Israel. Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters that Trump’s desire to control Gaza is ridiculous and could ignite tensions in the region.
Trump unveiled his unexpected plan during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
He stated, “The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it too…we’re going to develop it, create thousands and thousands of jobs, and it’ll be something that the entire Middle East can be very proud of.” His announcement came after he proposed resettling over two million Palestinians from Gaza to neighboring countries. He referred to Gaza as a “demolition site” amid a fragile ceasefire and hostage release agreement between Israel and Hamas.
The idea of the U.S. taking direct control of Gaza contradicts long-standing U.S. policy and the views of much of the international community. Traditionally, Gaza has been considered part of a future Palestinian state that would also include the occupied West Bank.
Trump’s proposal raises questions about Saudi Arabia’s willingness to engage in renewed U.S.-brokered efforts to normalize relations with Israel.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry firmly stated that it rejects any plans to displace Palestinians from their land. The kingdom has maintained that it will not establish ties with Israel without the creation of a Palestinian state. This contradicts Trump’s assertion that Riyadh was not demanding a Palestinian homeland.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has reiterated the kingdom’s position clearly, leaving no room for misinterpretation.
Trump mentioned plans to visit Gaza, Israel, and Saudi Arabia but did not specify when.
Netanyahu, often referred to by Trump as “Bibi,” praised Trump’s innovative approach but did not delve deeply into the proposal.
He stated that Trump is “thinking outside the box with fresh ideas” and is willing to challenge conventional thinking.
PALESTINIANS FEAR A REPEAT OF THE ‘NAKBA’
Displacement remains a sensitive issue for Palestinians and Arab nations.
As fighting escalated in Gaza, many Palestinians feared experiencing another “Nakba,” a term describing the mass dispossession of hundreds of thousands of people during the establishment of Israel.
The stakes are high for both Trump and Israel regarding Saudi policy in the Middle East.
The U.S. had been engaged in months of diplomacy to encourage Saudi Arabia, a powerful Arab state, to normalize relations with Israel. However, the ongoing Gaza war, which began in October 2023, has caused Riyadh to pause these efforts due to widespread Arab anger over Israel’s military actions.
Trump seeks to have Saudi Arabia follow the lead of countries like the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, which normalized relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords in 2020.
Establishing ties with Saudi Arabia would be a significant achievement for Israel, given the kingdom’s vast influence in the Middle East and its status as the world’s largest oil exporter.
On Tuesday, Trump urged Jordan, Egypt, and other Arab nations to accept Gazans. He argued that Palestinians had no choice but to leave the coastal strip, which requires extensive rebuilding after 16 months of devastating conflict between Israel and Hamas.
A U.N. damage assessment released in January indicated that removing over 50 million tonnes of rubble in Gaza could take 21 years and cost up to $1.2 billion.
Until Trump’s announcement, the United Nations and the United States had long supported a vision of two states, Israel and Palestine, coexisting within secure and recognized borders. Palestinians aspire to establish a state encompassing the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip—all territories captured by Israel in the 1967 war.
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