While Israeli officials welcomed the idea, Palestinian authorities, Arab states and others condemned it as an infringement on Palestinian rights.
Trump’s Gaza proposal sparks global debate amid Middle East tensions. Photo: TNSUS President Donald Trump’s proposal to take control of Gaza and displace all its people received support in Israel but was widely condemned in the Middle East and even among Washington’s key European allies.
Initially, the reactions from both sides were marked by confusion. No one, including Israeli officials, anticipated Trump would propose that the US step in and rebuild the coastal Palestinian territory, which he referred to as a new “Riviera”.
According to Trump, this approach would necessitate relocating over 2 million Gazans from the war-torn area and even hinted at the possibility of deploying US troops.
“The US will take over the Gaza Strip,” Trump stated during a press conference in Washington with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “We’ll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons present in the region.”
The global reaction
Israeli lawmakers praised the unexpected suggestion as a means to resolve the conflict with Hamas, which is currently under a fragile six-week ceasefire.
The Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the West Bank but not Gaza, quickly rejected the idea, stating that it would oppose “all calls for the displacement of the Palestinian people from their homeland”.
Saudi Arabia condemned the plan as an “infringement on the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people”. The kingdom plays a central role in Trump’s aim to reshape the Middle Eastern order, as the US president seeks to encourage Saudi Arabia to normalise relations with Israel.
The UN chief warned Wednesday against ethnic cleansing in Gaza as he rejected Trump’s bombshell proposal for the United States to take control of the Palestinian territory and displace all its people.
“At its essence, the exercise of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people is about the right of Palestinians to simply live as human beings in their own land,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a speech to a UN committee that deals with the rights of Palestinians.
But, he added, “We have seen the realisation of those rights steadily slip farther out of reach ... We have seen a chilling, systematic dehumanisation and demonisation of an entire people.”
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From the US White House
After an international outcry, Trump administration officials tried Wednesday to walk back the Trump proposal, saying any displacement of the Palestinians of Gaza would be temporary while the largely destroyed territory is rebuilt.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the proposal during a briefing with reporters on Wednesday. She downplayed the resources required from the US, asserting that Trump’s focus would be on “striking a deal” that would involve regional partners facilitating the arrangement.
“That does not mean boots on the ground in Gaza. It does not mean American taxpayers will be funding this effort,” Leavitt added.
Trump’s suggestions have expanded the debate on the future of Gaza, which has been devastated by 16 months of Israeli bombardments.
The ground story in Gaza
The majority of the population has been displaced into camps due to heavy Israeli bombardments of urban areas, resulting in shortages of essentials like medicine, food, and clean water. The ceasefire began last month, following a deal brokered by the US, Qatar and Egypt, for which Trump claimed credit.
Talks concerning a second phase started this week, and one Arab official, speaking privately, suggested that the timing of the US President’s comments could jeopardise those negotiations.
The official indicated that Gazans would likely resist any attempts to displace them and added that Iran would exploit the anger generated by the proposal, escalating tensions in the region.
Before the White House meeting with Netanyahu, Trump had promoted the idea of relocating Palestinians to Egypt or Jordan while simultaneously rebuilding Gaza, a scenario that was firmly rejected by Palestinian authorities and Arab states, including Saudi Arabia.
Reception from Israeli leaders
In Israel, Trump’s plan was received positively across the political spectrum. Far-right politicians were particularly enthusiastic, as senior figures like Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich have long argued for Israel to annex both Gaza and the West Bank.
More moderate figures expressed a mix of support and concern regarding what the proposals for Gaza would mean for the ceasefire with Hamas.
Yair Lapid, Israel’s opposition leader and former prime minister, questioned how the US could take over Gaza, given the widespread opposition to the proposal in the Middle East, particularly from the Palestinians.
“We will have to see organised plans to determine whether it is feasible,” Lapid told Israel’s Army Radio.
He added that the idea that Gaza “poses no threat to Israel is important”.
Israel has consistently indicated that it will seek to maintain security control over Gaza for the foreseeable future, as the government asserts that this is the only way to prevent a repeat of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks.
Additionally, Israel aims to eliminate Hamas as both a military and governing entity in Gaza. Netanyahu’s coalition, however, has refrained from presenting a “day-after” solution for Gaza.
The question of who will govern the territory and oversee its reconstruction is critical for discussions on extending the ceasefire. The internationally recognised Palestinian Authority has stated that it would take charge if the situation allows.