President Donald TrumpAmericans have reacted with outrage over President Donald Trump’s remarks that the US will “take over the Gaza strip and own it” with one saying “I don’t remember this promise during the campaign.”.
Speaking on Tuesday at the White House after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said the US will wholly assume the responsibility of rebuilding the Gaza Strip, after the enclave was left in ruins by devastating Israeli bombardment sparked by a November 7, 2023 Hamas attack.
Authorities in Gaza have put the death toll from the war at 61,709, including those missing and presumed dead.
At least 14,222 other people are believed to be still trapped under rubble or in areas inaccessible by rescuers. Trump proposed the relocation of Palestinians to Egypt and Jordan to give room for his administration to score the territory, rid it of debris and rebuild the Gaza Strip.
“The US will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it, too. We will own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site,” he said.
Trump added that the US will level the site and get rid of all destroyed buildings and create economic development that will supply an unlimited number of jobs and housing for Gazans. “Do a real job, do something different.We just can’t go back (to doing this the same way). If you go back, it’s going to end up the same way it has for 100 years,” Trump said.
In the comment section of the video posted on his official Potus Instagram handle, Americans were furious, with many questioning the sudden policy shift, labeling the proposed Gaza takeover a misplaced priority.
“We don’t want Gaza, we want groceries to go down, gas, rent, living cost here,” one said.
Others questioned what happened to the ‘America first’ campaign slogan with one saying, “The American people will not stand with you.”
Numerous other comments opposed the idea, saying the Trump administration should focus on prioritising Americans’ needs much as taking care of Gaza may help end the war, or probably start a new one, some opined.
“That land doesn’t belong to the USA. What are we doing in the Middle East?” one asked.
International law prohibits any attempts by any state to forcibly transfer populations, and Palestinians and Arab nations have already opposed the Trump idea, which he has been fronting for days now.
Arab nations will likely view the proposal as one aimed at expelling and ethnically cleansing Palestinians from their land.
In a joint statement on Saturday, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, the Palestinian Authority, and the Arab League said that such a move could "threaten the region's stability, risk expanding the conflict, and undermine prospects for peace and coexistence among its peoples.".
During the press conference, Trump was asked whether Palestinians would be allowed back after Gaza Strip is rebuilt.
He said "the world's people" would live there, before adding "also Palestinians" and that it would be an "international, unbelievable place".
