Donald Trump says US will 'take over and own Gaza Strip', refuses to rule out sending military
Donald Trump said the United States would clear unexploded bombs, remove damaged buildings, and develop the area to provide jobs and housing. Trump also reiterated his demand that Palestinians should be moved to countries such as Egypt and Jordan.
In a move that could shatter the fragile peace in the Middle East, US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that his country would take over the Gaza Strip in Palestine. Trump made the announcement during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
'US will take over and own Gaza Strip'
"The US will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it, too. We'll own it," Trump said.
CREDIT: REUTERS
Trump did not rule out sending US troops to secure Gaza. "As far as Gaza is concerned, we'll do what is necessary. If it's necessary, we'll do that," he said.
He said the United States would clear unexploded bombs, remove damaged buildings, and develop the area to provide jobs and housing.
Palestinians should be moved to other countries
Trump also reiterated his demand that Palestinians should be moved to other Middle Eastern countries, such as Egypt and Jordan.
Trump had previously suggested that countries such as Egypt and Jordan should take in Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, something they have already ruled out.
"They say they're not going to accept ¡ª I say they will," Trump said on Tuesday.
CREDIT: REUTERS
Riviera of Middle East
Once the Palestinians are moved out of their own land, Trump said Gaza could be developed as "the Riviera of the Middle East."
"This is not a decision made lightly. Everybody I've spoken to loves the idea of the United States owning that piece of land," he said, adding that Gaza could become "the Riviera of the Middle East," open to people from around the world, including Palestinians.
CREDIT: REUTERS
Sharp reactions form Middle East
The US President's announcement to take over the Gaza Strip has been met with shock and anger in Palestine and the Middle East.
"Instead of holding the Zionist occupation accountable for the crime of genocide and displacement, it is being rewarded, not punished," Hamas said in a statement. "We reject Trump's statements in which he said that the residents of the Gaza Strip have no choice but to leave, and we consider them a recipe for creating chaos and tension in the region."
CREDIT: REUTERS
One of Trump's closest allies in the region, Saudi Arabia, rejected the calls and said the Kingdom's long-standing call for an independent Palestinian state was a "firm, steadfast and unwavering position."
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Bobins Abraham is the Assistant News Editor at Indiatimes. He has more than twelve years of experience in TV and digital journalism. An avid student of history and geopolitics, he is a conservationist and environmentalist at heart. He writes on environment, sustainability, human-animal conflict and more.
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