Donald Trump has once again sparked controversy after previously shocking the world with his statement about the permanent relocation of Palestinian residents from Gaza to neighboring countries. In a post on Truth Social, he claimed that Israel would hand over the Gaza Strip to the United States once the conflict with Hamas ended.
"The Gaza Strip would be turned over to the United States by Israel at the conclusion of fighting," Trump wrote on Thursday.
This statement followed his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on February 4, during which Trump announced a plan to permanently relocate Palestinian residents to Egypt and Jordan. He described Gaza as a "devastated area" and argued that relocation would be a better solution for the population, who have endured war since October 7, 2023.
Additionally, Trump asserted that U.S. military presence in Gaza would not be necessary, clarifying an earlier statement in which he had left open the possibility of deploying troops to the region. In his statement on February 6, he declared, "No soldiers by the U.S. would be needed! Stability for the region would reign!!!"
Furthermore, he argued that Palestinians should be relocated to safer and more habitable communities, with modern housing that would provide them with a better quality of life.
Trump first introduced the idea of annexing Gaza during a joint press conference with Netanyahu on February 4. Netanyahu, the first foreign leader to meet with Trump at the White House since his inauguration, also heard Trump’s vision of rebuilding Gaza as the "Middle East Riviera."
However, the proposal has faced sharp criticism, including from the United Nations (UN), which warned that the forced relocation of Palestinian residents could be classified as ethnic cleansing. Despite this, Trump insisted that his plan had broad support and claimed that Middle Eastern nations would welcome the initiative.
White House Scrambles to Defend Trump
Shortly after Trump’s remarks sparked global controversy and backlash, the White House moved to ease tensions. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified that the relocation plan for Gaza residents was not meant to be permanent but rather a temporary measure to facilitate reconstruction efforts. She also emphasized that there were no plans to deploy U.S. troops to the Gaza Strip.
A similar statement was made by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who stressed that Trump’s proposal to take control of Gaza was not intended as a hostile move. Rubio reiterated that any relocation of Gaza residents would be strictly temporary during the rebuilding process. He also challenged critics of the plan to present concrete solutions for resolving the ongoing crisis in the region.
