President Trump on Friday said that Gaza will be given to the U.S. by Israel, expanding on his plan for an American takeover of the war-torn region that he warned involves permanent relocation of Palestinians.
The president told reporters that Gaza “will be given to us by Israel” and said that his proposal to take responsibility for the Gaza Strip, currently under Hamas control, has “been very well received.”
“We don’t want to see everybody move out and then move back in 10 years,” Trump added.
He doubled down on push for Palestinians to leave Gaza after he rocked U.S.-Middle East policy on Tuesday by announcing during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he would back the resettlement of Palestinians into Egypt and Jordan, despite those countries rejecting the deal.
Trump on Friday also said that his plan “would lead to great stability in the area” for “very little money.”
The president, a day earlier, claimed Israel would turn over Gaza to the U.S. “at the conclusion of fighting” after about 16 months of a war against Hamas and a recently-made flimsy ceasefire agreement.
His idea about Gaza control, which led to pushback from Arab leaders and some Republicans, has also fostered questions over whether a takeover of the region would require American military boots on the ground.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday insisted Trump has not committed to sending the U.S. military into Gaza, despite the president suggesting the night before responded that “we will do what is necessary.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that the U.S. government is “a very long way” from intervening in the strip.
