President Donald Trump proposed a remarkable plan for the United States to assume control of the Gaza Strip during crucial talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the Hamas truce.
Trump reiterated his call for Palestinians to relocate to Middle Eastern countries such as Egypt and Jordan, despite their rejection of the proposal.
“The US will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it, too. We’ll own it,” Trump stated at a joint press conference with Netanyahu.
Trump outlined a plan to clear unexploded ordnance, rebuild the infrastructure, and create economic opportunities, stating, “We’ll level the site, remove destroyed buildings, and create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area.”
However, Trump indicated that the returning population would not consist of Palestinians, saying, “It should not go through a process of rebuilding and occupation by the same people that have really stood there and fought for it and lived there and died there and lived a miserable existence there.”
He suggested Gaza’s two million inhabitants should “go to other countries of interest with humanitarian hearts.”
Netanyahu praised Trump as Israel’s “greatest friend ever,” describing the Gaza plan as potentially “history-changing” and worthy of attention.
‘Great force’
Egypt and Jordan have rejected Trump’s relocation proposal. The Palestinian envoy to the United Nations urged world leaders to respect Palestinian wishes. Gazans also voiced strong opposition, with Rafah resident Hatem Azzam stating, “Trump thinks Gaza is a pile of garbage — absolutely not.”
Trump claimed credit for the initial six-week truce, and urged Netanyahu to pursue a longer-lasting peace. Netanyahu expressed cautious optimism regarding phase two.
Netanyahu lauded Trump’s “great force and powerful leadership” in securing the ceasefire, contrasting it with his tense relationship with former President Joe Biden.
Israel announced sending a team to Qatar to discuss phase two, while Hamas confirmed negotiations focusing on “shelter, relief and reconstruction”.
The first phase involved hostage exchanges, with eighteen hostages freed in exchange for approximately 600 Palestinian prisoners. The October 7, 2023 Hamas attack resulted in 251 hostages, 76 of whom remain in Gaza, 34 of whom Israel says are dead. Families of Israeli hostages urged continued cooperation for their release.
Since the January 19 ceasefire, Israel conducted operations in the West Bank, with UNRWA warning of a catastrophic situation in Jenin. An attack south of Jenin resulted in the death of two Israeli soldiers. The truce facilitated aid delivery to Gaza and the return of displaced persons.
The October 7 attack resulted in 1,210 Israeli deaths (mostly civilians), while the Israeli response has caused at least 47,518 deaths in Gaza (mostly civilians), according to the Hamas-run health ministry and the UN.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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