President Donald Trump said that the United States would take control of the Gaza Strip after the war there ends, a significant pledge and a sharp change from previous American policy in the region.
Trump made the pledge in a press conference on Tuesday evening alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is visiting Washington D.C.
The proposal to take control of Gaza builds on Trump’s efforts to persuade Middle Eastern countries to take in Palestinians from Gaza — a plan he doubled down on in his remarks Tuesday. But in the press conference, he went further — saying that the United States would “take over” the area, clear it of explosives and rebuild it, a daunting task after much of the enclave has been destroyed.
“The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it too,” he 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.”
He added that the United States would “create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area.”
The idea Trump proposed has never been seriously suggested before. While various proposals have suggested that a multinational force could secure Gaza after the war ends, none of the plans that have been made public envision the United States fully taking control of the territory. The Biden administration had pushed for the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority to take a leading role in governing the site, an idea Netanyahu rejected.
Israel’s neighbors have rejected the idea of depopulating Gaza, and have historically supported Palestinians governing Gaza. In response to whether the United States had the right to take over Gaza, Trump said he saw the United States controlling the area long-term. He also said the United States would be making an announcement regarding Israeli West Bank annexation within the next four weeks.
“I do see a long-term ownership position and I see it bringing great stability to that part of the Middle East and maybe the entire Middle East,” he said. “This was not a decision made lightly. Everyone I’ve spoken to loves the idea of the United States owning that piece of land, developing and creating thousands of jobs.”
In his remarks at the press conference, Netanyahu appeared to support Trump’s proposal. He called it “something that could change history.”
“The third goal is to make sure that Gaza never poses a threat to Israel again,” he said, referring to his government’s objectives in its war against Hamas. “President Trump is taking it to a much higher level. he sees a different future for that piece of land that has been the focus of so much terrorism, so many attacks against us, so many trials and so many tribulations. he has a different idea, and I think it’s worth paying attention to this.”
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