Trump commits to owning Gaza, may let Middle East states rebuild

Dubai: Former US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he is committed to “buying and owning” Gaza, a statement that has drawn immediate backlash from Hamas.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One en route to the Super Bowl in New Orleans, Trump said he envisions a massive rebuilding effort in Gaza but suggested that other Middle Eastern states could take on sections of the war-ravaged territory.

“As far as us rebuilding it, we may give it to other states in the Middle East to build sections of it; other people may do it, through our auspices,” Trump said while en route to New Orleans to attend the Super Bowl.

“But we’re committed to owning it, taking it, and making sure that Hamas doesn’t move back. There’s nothing to move back into. The place is a demolition site.”

Trump also claimed that displaced Palestinians would prefer not to return to Gaza despite his proposal prompting backlash from Palestinian representatives and much of the international community.

“If we could give them a home in a safer area – the only reason they’re talking about returning to Gaza is they don’t have an alternative. When they have an alternative, they don’t want to return to Gaza,” the US president said.

Trump added that there was “nothing to move back into”, describing Gaza as a “demolition site.”

He also raised the possibility of allowing some Palestinian refugees into the United States but said such requests would be handled on a case-by-case basis.

Hamas quickly condemned Trump’s remarks. Khalil Al Hayya, Hamas’ Gaza chief, declared the plan “doomed” and vowed to resist it.

“We will bring them down as we brought down the projects before them,” he said during a speech in Tehran commemorating the 46th anniversary of the Iranian revolution.

Hamas political bureau member Ezzat El Rashq also rejected the proposal, stating: “Gaza is not a property to be sold and bought. It is an integral part of our occupied Palestinian land.”

Several nations, including Saudi Arabia and Jordan, have also rejected Trump’s plan outright. Jordan’s King Abdullah is expected to warn Trump in a February 11 meeting that such a move would fuel extremism and destabilize the region.

Diplomatic fallout

Trump’s announcement was vague on how the US would take control of Gaza, raising questions about its legal and diplomatic basis. While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has backed the proposal, Israeli President Isaac Herzog stressed that regional leaders must be consulted.

Herzog confirmed that Trump is set to meet with Egyptian President Abdul Fattah Al Sissi, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Jordan’s King Abdullah, though he did not specify when or where these discussions would take place.

“These are partners that must be listened to. We have to honor their perspectives and see how we build a plan that is sustainable for the future,” Herzog said.

Trump previously suggested turning Gaza into the “Riviera of the Middle East”, but his remarks have intensified fears of forced displacement and long-term U.S. involvement in the territory.

Earlier on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Trump’s proposal as “revolutionary” and “creative” while addressing a cabinet meeting held hours after his return from Washington, DC, where he held talks with the US president.

Trump stunned Palestinians and the international community on Tuesday by proposing that Washington take over Gaza as part of an audacious redevelopment plan that he claimed could transform the enclave into “the Riviera of the Middle East”.