President Donald Trump has once again proposed that the United States take control of the Gaza Strip, describing it as a “big real estate site” during remarks on Air Force One on Sunday. His comments, which include plans to relocate the two million Palestinians living in Gaza, have sparked significant international condemnation and raised serious legal and ethical concerns.
“We’re going to own it,” President Trump said about Gaza, emphasizing a vision to develop “beautiful sites” for displaced Palestinians. The specific location for such resettlement sites remains unclear. His remarks followed an initial announcement last week at a joint news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The proposal has been widely criticized, with experts noting that the forced relocation of a civilian population constitutes a violation of international law and could be considered a war crime. Critics have also likened the plan to ethnic cleansing, further complicating an already volatile situation in the region.
Following President Trump’s initial announcement, top officials in his administration moved quickly to clarify his statements. They insisted that the U.S. had no immediate plans to deploy troops to Gaza and described any potential relocation of Palestinians as temporary.
During a government meeting in Israel on Sunday, Prime Minister Netanyahu praised Mr. Trump’s “revolutionary and creative” vision for the future of Gaza. “President Trump came with a completely different vision, much better for the State of Israel,” Netanyahu said. He suggested the proposal opened up possibilities that were previously unimaginable.
Despite these bold claims, officials familiar with the proposal say the Trump administration had not conducted any planning to assess its feasibility. The idea, which would involve the displacement of Gaza’s two million residents, was met with swift rejection from neighboring countries like Egypt and Jordan, both of which dismissed the possibility of accepting relocated Palestinians.
At his original announcement, President Trump described plans to rebuild Gaza as part of a broader effort to transform it into “the Riviera of the Middle East,” with the help of wealthy Middle Eastern countries. However, no detailed framework or timeline for such a project has been presented.
As international criticism mounts, experts continue to stress the importance of diplomacy and adherence to international law in addressing the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Meanwhile, Mr. Trump’s vision for U.S. involvement in Gaza remains unclear, raising questions about its practicality and global implications.
