U.S. President Donald Trump has doubled down on his contentious proposal to take control of Gaza, stating he is committed to “buying and owning” the war-ravaged enclave.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump described Gaza as a “big real estate site” and suggested that redevelopment could be delegated to other Middle Eastern countries. “As far as us rebuilding it, we may give it to other states in the Middle East to build sections of it; other people may do it, through our auspices,” he said while en route to New Orleans for the Super Bowl.
“But we’re committed to owning it, taking it, and making sure that Hamas doesn’t move back. There’s nothing to move back into. The place is a demolition site.”
Trump also claimed that displaced Palestinians would prefer not to return to Gaza, despite backlash from Palestinian representatives and much of the international community. “If we could give them a home in a safer area—the only reason they’re talking about returning to Gaza is they don’t have an alternative. When they have an alternative, they don’t want to return to Gaza,” he said.
Hamas, the Palestinian group that governs Gaza, dismissed Trump’s remarks as “absurd.”
Regional and International Reactions
Initially, Trump suggested he was open to deploying U.S. troops in Gaza but later backtracked, stating that no American soldiers would be necessary to implement his plan.
Neighboring countries, including Egypt and Jordan, have rejected the idea of taking in displaced Palestinians, despite Trump’s assertion that they could be resettled in “other countries of interest with humanitarian hearts.”
On Sunday, Saudi Arabia condemned a separate proposal by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that suggested using Saudi land to establish a Palestinian state. The Saudi Foreign Ministry stated, “The kingdom affirms that the Palestinian people have a right to their land and are not intruders or immigrants who can be expelled whenever the brutal Israeli occupation wishes.” The ministry also accused Netanyahu of attempting to “divert attention” from Israel’s ongoing actions in Gaza.
Hamas official Izzat al-Risheq also rejected Trump’s plan, stating on Telegram, “Gaza is not a property that can be bought and sold; it is an integral part of our occupied Palestinian land.” He added, “Dealing with the Palestinian issue with the mentality of a real estate dealer is a recipe for failure. Our Palestinian people will thwart all displacement and deportation plans. Gaza belongs to its people.”
Netanyahu Backs Trump’s Proposal
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Trump’s plan as “revolutionary” and “creative” during a cabinet meeting held hours after his return from Washington, D.C., where he met with the former U.S. president.
Trump first stunned Palestinians and the international community on Tuesday by suggesting that the U.S. could take over Gaza as part of a sweeping redevelopment plan that he claimed could transform the enclave into “the Riviera of the Middle East.”
