Trump: US will ‘take over’ Gaza, ‘own’ it, develop it, then make it an ‘international’ area
Reshaping the Middle EastTrump also called for Palestinians to be removed from Gaza

Trump: US will ‘take over’ Gaza, ‘own’ it, develop it, then make it an ‘international’ area

“The US will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it too."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, second from right, sits down with top advisers at Blair House in Washington, DC, to prepare for his meeting with US President Donald Trump later in the day, February 4, 2025. (Avi Ohayon/GPO)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, second from right, sits down with top advisers at Blair House in Washington, DC, to prepare for his meeting with US President Donald Trump later in the day, February 4, 2025. (Avi Ohayon/GPO)

WASHINGTON — In comments shocking the entire press corps, President Donald Trump says he wants the US to “take over” Gaza and “own” the Strip in order to rebuild the coastal enclave after it was leveled in the past 15 months of war.

“The US will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it too. We’ll love it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous bombs and other weapons on the site… and get rid of the destroyed buildings [and] create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing,” Trump says during a press conference alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

He doesn’t specify who those jobs will be for, given that he is also calling for all Palestinians to be removed from Gaza.

Trump later clarifies that the “world’s people” will be the ones to live in Gaza once the US finishes rebuilding it. He says the Palestinians can be among them, adding that it will be an “international” area.

He reiterates his belief that Palestinians should be removed from the “hell hole” of Gaza, but this time makes the statement while reading from prepared remarks, further indicating that this has become the administration’s official policy and not an off-the-cuff idea.

Gaza “should not go through a process of rebuilding and occupation by the same people,” Trump says.

Trump says Gaza’s population of roughly 1.8 million people should be transferred to countries “of interest with humanitarian hearts.”

“There are many of them that want to do this,” Trump claims.

Trump says one or multiple countries could take in Palestinians from Gaza.

Trump says the rebuilding of Gaza could be “paid for by neighboring countries a great wealth.” PJC

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