US President Proposes Taking Over Gaza for Economic Development
President Trump proposes a takeover of Gaza to remove debris and establish economic development, emphasizing long-term U.S. involvement for stability in the region. Netanyahu considers the idea historical.
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the U.S. would take over Gaza and remove debris, tunnels, and explosives left there by Hamas after the war with Israel, adding that he saw America taking a long-term ownership position.
Trump said: "The US will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it too. We'll love it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous bombs and other weapons on the site... and get rid of the destroyed buildings [and] create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing."
The surprise announcement came as the president spoke alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the first foreign leader to visit Trump since his inauguration last month.
Trump had previously said that he would like to see most, or all, of the Palestinian population of Gaza moved to another Arab or Muslim country.
The idea of actually taking over Gaza, and establishing a U.S. presence, was both unexpected and completely new.
Trump added that the U.S. would develop Gaza economically, sending troops if necessary and making investments.
He called the potential of Gaza "unbelievable," but said that Palestinian control of Gaza "will never work." He added: "You have to learn from history ... We have an opportunity to do something phenomenal ... the Riviera of the Middle East."
A reporter asked Trump what right the U.S. had to take over Gaza, calling it, inaccurately, "sovereign territory" (there is no Palestinian state and no sovereign power in the territory).
Trump did not reply directly but said that American control of Gaza would increase "stability" in the region as the various nations pursued peace together.
Netanyahu, who had never publicly advocated for anything like what Trump proposed, said that the idea was "something that could change history" and that it was "worth considering."
It is considered taboo, even in Israel, to advocate for the "transfer" of Palestinians from Gaza or from Judea and Samaria (also known as the West Bank).
Trump has previously proposed buying Greenland, so he is not averse to the idea of America taking over territory abroad. However, the idea of taking over war-torn Gaza is completely unique and quite possibly revolutionary.
