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Trump Says the U.S. Will ‘Take Over’ and ‘Own’ Gaza, Make it Into an International Melting Pot And Relocate Palestinians
|By
Matis Glenn2 MIN READ
Published Feb. 5, 2025, 5:50 AM
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Trump and Netanyahu at the White House
By Matis Glenn:
U.S. President Donald Trump stunned the over 200 reporters who gathered to hear remarks from him and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu Tuesday by saying that the U.S. would “take over” and own Gaza, relocate the Palestinians to prevent terrorism from resurfacing, and rebuild the Strip as an international melting pot with economic prosperity and peace.
“The US will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it too. We’ll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous bombs and other weapons on the site… and get rid of the destroyed buildings, level it out [and] create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area,” Trump said during a press conference with Netanyahu.
“I don’t want to be cute. I don’t want to be a wise guy,” he says, and refers to Gaza as potentially “the Riviera of the Middle East. This could be something that could be so magnificent.”
He says he hopes the current Gaza ceasefire will yield “a larger and more ending peace that will end the bloodshed and killing once and for all.”
Trump clarified to the media that Palestinians can be among the “world’s people” who will live in a rebuilt Gaza after the U.S. rebuilds it.
What was previously Trump’s suggestion that neighboring countries should absorb Palestinians is now solidified as the administration’s official policy, as the president read the declaration from prepared notes, as opposed to his often free-wheeling, off-the-cuff style of talking.
Gaza “should not go through a process of rebuilding and occupation by the same people,” Trump says.
Under Trump’s plan, the 1.8 million residents of Gaza would be transferred to countries “of interest with humanitarian hearts.”
“There are many of them that want to do this,” Trump added.
Neighboring Jordan and Egypt have firmly refused to accept Palestinians.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), a Trump ally, expressed slight objection to the plan, telling Jewish Insider: “I think that would be an interesting proposal. We’ll see what our Arab friends say about that. I think most South Carolinians would probably not be excited about sending Americans to take over Gaza. It might be problematic.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the plan.
“Gaza MUST BE FREE from Hamas. As [US President Donald Trump] shared today, the United States stands ready to lead and Make Gaza Beautiful Again. Our pursuit is one of lasting peace in the region for all people,” he wrote on Twitter.
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