Donald Trump has said that the US will “take over” the Gaza strip and send troops into the territory if deemed "necessary".
Hosting a joint press conference with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the American President said that “the US will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it too,” stating that he is prepared to use troops “if necessary”.
“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 told reporters at the White House.
The newly-elected President added that all Palestinians in the area should “be resettled”.
Trump has previously said that neighbouring nations such as Egypt and Jordan could take in the 2.2million population
Reuters
Trump has previously said that neighbouring nations such as Egypt and Jordan could take in the 2.2million population - a proposal that has been rejected.
However, Trump now said that “everybody loves the idea” and that the US would make the area “the Riviera of the Middle East”.
He added that the US would “create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area”.
When asked who he envisions living in Gaza, Trump responded: “People living there. The world's people,” adding it would include Palestinians.
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The President hosted a joint press conference with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
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The move would fuel outrage across the Arab world, drawing parallels to the 1948 displacement of Palestinians.
Thousands were forced out of their home or forced to flee due to fighting. It is a period referred to by Palestinians as the Nakba, or catastrophe.
The Palestinian envoy to the United Nations said that people should respect Palestinians’ desire to remain in Gaza, whilst the Saudi government has released a statement where it rejected the proposal.
The US’s proposed “takeover” could also anger the US’s allies in the West, who are in favour of a two-state solution to the conflict in the Middle East.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese doubled down on Canberra’s continued support two-state solution.
When asked about the US president’s comments during a press conference on Wednesday, he said: "What] I would say is that Australia's position is the same as it was this morning, as it was last year, and it was 10 years ago, and it was under the Howard government."
Trump said the US would make the area 'the Riviera of the Middle East'
Reuters
Netanyahu praised Trump for his radical thinking, stating that it could lead to a 'different future'
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Smoke rises in Gaza CityREUTERSDemocrats were quick to condemn the proposal with Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy saying that Trump has "totally lost it".
And some Republicans also criticised the move.
Justin Amash, a former Republican member of Congress whose father was expelled from his home by Israeli forces in 1948, said: “If the United States deploys troops to forcibly remove Muslims and Christians – like my cousins – from Gaza, then not only will the US be mired in another reckless occupation but it will also be guilty of the crime of ethnic cleansing.
"No American of good conscience should stand for this.”
Netanyahu praised Trump for his radical thinking, stating that it could lead to a "different future".
"You see things others refuse to see," he said. "You say things others refuse to say." He added: "And after the jaws drop people scratch their heads and they say, you know, he's right."
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