Trump’s Gaza takeover proposal alarms Palestinian officials

US President's idea praised in Israel while intensifying fears in Arab nations

US President Donald Trump at a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House in Washington. Mr Trump said he wants the US to take over Gaza. EPA

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Palestinians reacted in shock to US President Donald Trump’s desire for his country to “take over” the Gaza Strip, an announcement that was praised as miraculous in Israel while sending shock waves and anxiety throughout the Middle East.

Mr Trump said he wanted Gaza to become a “riviera of the Middle East” at a White House press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shortly after the two had a much-anticipated meeting to discuss regional issues, the first Mr Trump has had with any foreign leader since coming into office.

“The US will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it too,” Mr Trump said. “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, level it out, create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs.”

Mr Trump's comments are the firmest sign yet that his administration seriously backs the displacement of Gazans to Arab states neighbouring Israel and further afield, a suggestion he has made on a number of occasions since coming into power, a move that is firmly opposed by Palestinians and most of the international community and which critics say would amount to ethnic cleansing.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the US calls “represent a serious violation of international law” and that the Gaza Strip is an integral part of a Palestinian state. Mr Abbas also thanked Arab states for their “steadfast positions against displacement and annexation”.

Palestinians gather outside a building destroyed by the Israeli army in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. Reuters

Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) secretary general Hussain Al Sheikh, widely viewed as a potential successor to Mr Abbas with close ties to the US, said the PLO rejected all calls for displacement.

“The Palestinian leadership affirms its firm position that the two-state solution, in accordance with international legitimacy and international law, is the guarantee of security, stability and peace,” Mr Al Sheikh said on X.

Hamas called Mr Trump’s comments “a recipe for creating chaos and tension in the region”.

“Our people in the Gaza Strip will not allow these plans to pass. What is required is an end to the occupation and aggression against our people, not their expulsion from their land,” it said. “They are rooted in their land and will not accept any schemes aimed at uprooting them from their homeland.”

The comments came amid a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, during which the militant group has been turning over hostages in exchange for the release of prisoners held by Israel.

Senior Hamas official Basem Naim described Mr Trump's plan as "law of the jungle at the international level".

Mr Naim called on parties involved in negotiating the deal to "oblige the [Israeli] occupation to implement the ceasefire agreement in its three stages without procrastination or manipulation, as we are committed to implementing the agreement as long as the occupation commits to it, and any manipulation in implementing the agreement may cause it to collapse".

Israeli politicians across the political spectrum welcomed Mr Trump’s comments, reflecting a growing acceptance of the idea of mass Palestinian displacement. A poll from the Jewish People Policy Institute on Monday revealed that approximately seven out of 10 Israelis believed “Arabs from Gaza should relocate to another country”.

Itamar Ben-Gvir, centre, at a conference calling for the establishment of Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip, in Jerusalem. EPA

Mr Netanyahu’s far-right coalition was ecstatic at the proposition.

“This is what happens when two brave leaders meet,” said Transportation Minister Miri Regev, of Mr Netanyahu’s Likud party.

Far-right National Security Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a high-profile settler who has advocated for the resettlement of Gaza, said: “Together, we will make the world great again.”

An extremist party that bolted the government over the recent Gaza ceasefire, Otzma Yehudit, said it could rejoin the government in the wake of the news.

“I haven't tailored a minister's suit again yet, but there's no doubt that the chances of Otzma Yehudit returning to the government have increased,” its leader, Itamar Ben-Gvir said.

“There were those who worked on [forced displacement in Gaza] in Israel long before and earned nicknames like ‘messianic and delusional,’ so now is the time to move on to implementation,” he added.

Many in Israel’s opposition, despite massive political divides in Israel since October 7, welcomed the move, too.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is among the many high-profile Palestinians to have come out in opposition to Mr Trump's comments. EPA

Benny Gantz, seen as one of the most senior rivals to Mr Netanyahu and a future candidate for Prime Minister, said Mr Trump's comments were “further proof of the deep alliance between the US and Israel”.

“In his remarks, he presented creative, original and interesting thinking, which must be examined alongside the realisation of the goals of the war, giving priority to the return of all the hostages [held in Gaza].”

Opposition leader Yair Lapid said Mr Trump’s remarks made for a “good press conference for the State of Israel”.

“We will have to study the details to understand what the plan is in Gaza,” he added.