US President Donald Trump has proposed that the United States assume control of the Gaza Strip, describing the area as a “demolition site” that requires redevelopment.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, Trump outlined a plan for the US to take over the territory destroyed by Israel indiscriminate bombings in 2024.
“The US will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it too,” Trump told reporters.
Trump did not rule out deploying US troops to Gaza, stating, “If it’s necessary, we’ll do that. I do see a long-term ownership position and I see it bringing great stability to that part of the Middle East,” he said.
He described his vision as transforming Gaza into the “Riviera of the Middle East.”
A key aspect of the proposal involves relocating Gaza’s approximately two million Palestinian residents to neighboring countries such as Egypt and Jordan. Trump claimed that regional leaders supported the idea, though he did not provide details on how the relocation would be implemented.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu praised Trump’s proposal, calling it “thinking outside the box with fresh ideas” and expressing optimism about its potential to change history.
The announcement has drawn widespread criticism. Human rights organizations condemned the proposal as a form of ethnic cleansing, emphasizing that forced displacement violates international law.
Hamas officials also denounced the plan, stating that Palestinians would resist such efforts.
Additionally, both Egypt and Jordan have previously rejected similar resettlement proposals, citing concerns over regional stability and Palestinian rights.
Paul O’Brien, Executive Director of Amnesty International USA, has strongly criticized President Donald Trump’s proposal to relocate Gaza’s residents, stating that such an action would be “tantamount to destroying them as a people.”
He emphasized, “Gaza is their home. Gaza’s death and destruction is a result of the government of Israel killing civilians by the thousands, often with U.S. bombs.”
Amnesty International has previously condemned the US government’s continued military support to Israel, highlighting that US-made weapons have been used by Israeli forces to commit war crimes against Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
Rashida Tlaib, the only Palestinian American member of the US Congress, has accused President Donald Trump of “openly calling for ethnic cleansing” in response to his proposal to relocate Gaza’s residents and “level the site.”
In a post on X, Tlaib criticized the continued US funding to the Israeli government while cutting off federal funds to working Americans.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has praised President Donald Trump for thinking “outside the box” with his proposal for a US takeover of Gaza.
The Israeli leader also stressed that Trump was the “greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House,” highlighting several pro-Israel policies from Trump’s first term.
