Trump claims U.S. will "take over" Gaza and turn it into new "Riviera"
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President Trump declared during a press conference alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday that "the U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip" and "own it."
Why it matters: 2 million Palestinians live in Gaza, which was largely destroyed by Israel in its war with Hamas militants. Trump has contended those Palestinians should be moved out and the U.S. should take control in order to rebuild — a startling proposal with no legal backing, but which Trump presented as a done deal.
Asked if he was planning a "permanent occupation" of Gaza, Trump said: "I do see a long-term ownership position," which he claimed would bring "great stability" to the region.
- That idea is likely to face fierce opposition from Palestinians and from leaders across the region.
- Trump did not rule out sending in U.S. troops.
- He has frequently remarked on what valuable "real estate" Gaza could be, and suggested at the press conference that it could one day be "the Riviera of the Middle East."
Driving the news: Trump met on Tuesday for several hours with Netanyahu, who was the first foreign leader to visit the White House since he assumed office.
- "We had fantastic talks," Trump said, claiming he was fixing the alliance with Israel after former President Biden's tenure "tested" it.
- Netanyahu echoed the same message and accused the Biden administration of creating "daylight" with Israel that made it difficult for both countries to work together.
What he's saying: "The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it too," Trump said during the press conference after their meeting.
- "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 said, adding that his plan would "supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area."
- Trump said it was time to "do something different" because "if you go back, it's gonna end up the same way it has for a hundred years."
- Asked who he envisioned living in the redeveloped territory, Trump said "the world's people" — including Palestinians and presumably Israelis — could move to Gaza once it's rebuilt.
The other side: Netanyahu, who looked surprised by Trump's comments, didn't outright endorse the proposal but said it is "a different idea" that Israel and the U.S. are discussing.
- "I think it could change history and it is worthwhile pursuing," Netanyahu said.
- "You say things others refuse to say and after the jaws drop people say, 'maybe he is right,'" the Israeli prime minister added.
What to watch: Trump's proposal will be deeply polarizing across the Middle East.
- The leaders of Jordan and Egypt strongly oppose Trump's idea of moving Palestinians out of Gaza and into their countries, though Trump said he thinks they will "open their hearts" to the idea over time.
- Trump stressed that Saudi Arabia would be very helpful to his plans in the Middle East and claimed the Saudis wouldn't condition normalization with Israel on the establishment of a Palestinian state.
- Shortly afterwards, the Saudi foreign ministry issued an unusually strong statement denying this and rejecting Trump's idea of moving Palestinians from Gaza.
