Donald Trump has moved to clarify his plans for Gaza as the President confirms Palestinians will not be allowed to return to the region and there will be no US boots on the ground.
The president made the comments on his social media platform, Truth Social, this morning.
In the post Trump wrote: ‘The Gaza Strip would be turned over to the United States by Israel at the conclusion of fighting. The Palestinians, people like Chuck Schumer, would have already been resettled in far safer and more beautiful communities, with new and modern homes, in the region.
‘They would actually have a chance to be happy, safe, and free. The U.S., working with great development teams from all over the World, would slowly and carefully begin the construction of what would become one of the greatest and most spectacular developments of its kind on Earth.
‘No soldiers by the U.S. would be needed! Stability for the region would reign!!!’
Earlier this week, with the Israeli Prime Minister by his side, Trump outlined an extraordinary new plan for the Middle East, with the United States taking over the war-torn Gaza strip while its Palestinian population is moved to neighboring countries.
‘The US will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it too,’ he said at a press conference with Benjamin Netanyahu.
Donald Trump with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday where Trump outlined an extraordinary new plan for the Middle East, with the United States taking over the war-torn Gaza strip while its Palestinian population is moved to neighboring countries
The president made the comments on his social media platform, Truth Social, this morning
Palestinians walk through the rubble of Gaza city
‘We’ll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site … level the site and get rid of the destroyed buildings.’
Trump, a property developer who sees the world in terms of deals, has long talked up Gaza’s coastal location and pleasant climate as a perfect holiday vacation.
In his vision, U.S. reconstruction would create thousands of jobs and spare Palestinians the pain and expense of rebuilding once again.
When a reporter asked if that might involve military force, Trump answered: ‘If it’s necessary.’
Trump’s clarification comes after his Press Secretary declined to rule out the use of US troops in the region and walked back his claim on Tuesday that Palestinians needed to be permanently resettled in neighboring countries, saying instead that they should be ‘temporarily relocated’ for the rebuilding process.
Karoline Leavitt yesterday hailed Trump’s Gaza proposal as historic ‘outside of the box’. She also said US taxpayers would not foot the bill and that Trump would strike a deal with regional partners.
Netanyahu told Fox News on Wednesday that Trump’s proposal was ‘remarkable’ and urged that it be explored, even as he was not specific about what he believed Trump was offering.
He only vaguely addressed Trump’s plan, saying he did not believe the President was suggesting sending US troops to fight Hamas in Gaza or that the US would finance rebuilding efforts there.
Trump’s clarification comes after his Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, declined to rule out the use of US troops in the region and walked back his claim on Tuesday that Palestinians needed to be permanently resettled in neighboring countries
Trump with Netanyahu in the Oval Office. Netanyahu told Fox News on Wednesday that Trump’s proposal was ‘remarkable’ and urged that it be explored, even as he was not specific about what he believed Trump was offering
Netanyahu said he supports Trump’s suggestion that Gazans be free to leave and return to the war-ravaged area.
‘They can leave, they can then come back. They can relocate and come back,’ Netanyahu said without offering specifics.
‘It’s a remarkable idea and I think it should be really pursued, examined, pursued and done, because I think it will create a different future for everyone,’
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said, before a meeting with Netanyahu, that the Pentagon was ‘prepared to look at all options’ related to Gaza.
Experts say a major deployment of US forces would be needed to secure Gaza if Trump implements his proposal.
Trump’s proposal has drawn rebukes from Democrats, members of his own party and from world powers Russia, China and Germany – which said it would foster ‘new suffering and new hatred.’
While the President’s post today suggests he has double-downed on his plan for Gaza, it appears to run counter to US public opinion, which polls have shown is overwhelmingly opposed to new entanglements in conflict zones following lengthy military interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Trump frequently asserted during the 2024 election campaign and since returning to office that he would end what he called ‘ridiculous’ wars and prevent others from starting.
While the President’s post today suggests he has double-downed on his plan for Gaza, it appears to run counter to US public opinion, which polls have shown is overwhelmingly opposed to new entanglements in conflict zones
In the post Trump wrote: ‘The Gaza Strip would be turned over to the United States by Israel at the conclusion of fighting. The Palestinians, people like Chuck Schumer, would have already been resettled in far safer and more beautiful communities’
His Gaza proposal drew broad condemnation from Democratic lawmakers but confusion and skepticism from some fellow Republicans, while others praised the moves as bold.
‘I thought we voted for America first,’ Republican Senator Rand Paul said on X. ‘We have no business contemplating yet another occupation to doom our treasure and spill our soldiers blood.’
Jordan’s King Abdullah, who will meet Trump at the White House next week, said he rejected any moves to annex land and displace Palestinians. Egypt said it would back Gaza recovery plans, following a ceasefire that took effect on January 19, without Palestinians leaving the territory.
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Since taking office on January 20, Trump has talked about a US takeover of Greenland, warned of the possible seizure of the Panama Canal and declared that Canada should become the 51st US state.
Some critics have said his expansionist rhetoric echoes old-style imperialism, suggesting it could encourage Russia in its war in Ukraine and give China justification for invading self-ruled Taiwan.
World leaders said they remained supportive of the two-state solution that has formed the basis of US policy in the region for decades, which has held that Gaza would be part of a future Palestinian state that includes the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
A Hamas official called Trump’s proposal ‘ridiculous and absurd.’ Hamas ruled the Gaza Strip before the war there, which was triggered by the terrorist organization’s bloody October 7, 2023, cross-border attack on Israel in which 1,200 people were killed and 250 abducted, according to Israeli tallies.
‘Any ideas of this kind are capable of igniting the region,’ Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters, saying Hamas remains committed to the ceasefire accord with Israel and negotiating its next phase.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said, before a meeting with Netanyahu, that the Pentagon was ‘prepared to look at all options’ related to Gaza
What impact Trump’s proposals have on indirect talks over the second stage of the Gaza ceasefire and hostage-release deal was unclear. Hamas has adamantly insisted it wants to remain in Gaza while Netanyahu has vowed to destroy the group and never allow it to again rule the territory.
Trump’s proposal raises questions about whether Saudi Arabia would be willing to join a renewed US-brokered push for a historic normalization of relations with Israel.
Saudi Arabia, a pivotal US ally in the Middle East, said it would not establish ties with Israel without the creation of a Palestinian state, contradicting Trump’s claim that Riyadh was not demanding a Palestinian homeland.
Trump would like Saudi Arabia to follow in the footsteps of the United Arab Emirates, a Middle East trade and business hub, and Bahrain, both of which signed the Abraham Accords in 2020 and normalized ties with Israel.
But on Wednesday, the kingdom’s foreign ministry said Saudi Arabia rejected any attempts to remove Palestinians from their land and said Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had affirmed this position in ‘a clear and explicit manner.’