Palestinians, their allies and other nations reacted strongly to President Donald Trump's proposal that the United States "take over" the Gaza Strip and permanently resettle its residents.
Trump’s suggestion came at a White House news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who smiled several times as the president detailed a plan to build new settlements for Palestinians outside the Gaza Strip, and for the U.S. to take “ownership” in redeveloping the war-torn territory into “the Riviera of the Middle East.”
“The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it too,” Trump said. “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, level it out, create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs.”
His remarks drew swift opposition from allies and adversaries alike.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called for the United Nations to “protect the Palestinian people and their inalienable rights,” saying that what Trump wanted to do would be “a serious violation of international law.”
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Israel won't participate in the top U.N. human rights body
TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel's foreign minister said Wednesday the country "will not participate" in the U.N.'s top human rights body, a day after President Donald Trump said the U.S. was withdrawing from the body.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar announced the move in a post on X and welcomed Trump’s decision. Israel is not a member of the council and in the past has limited its engagement with the U.N. Human Rights Council over what it says is the body’s bias against it.
Israel previously announced it would not participate in the UNHRC in 2018, following Trump’s decision to withdraw the U.S. from it.
Israel has long criticized the council for disproportionately targeting it with resolutions and condemnations.
“The U.N. Human Rights Council is a biased body that is obsessively focused on attacking Israel,” Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon said.
Danon also accused the council of long ago abandoning “its moral compass” and said its election of Iran to leadership positions “proves the moral failure of this institution.”
Rubio says Trump's proposal for Gaza was a ‘generous’ offer
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that President Donald Trump’s proposal to take “ownership” of Gaza and redevelop the area into “the Riviera of the Middle East” was a “generous” offer.
“It was not meant as a hostile move,” Rubio told journalists at a press conference while visiting Guatemala City. “It was meant as a, I think, a very generous move.”
He said it is “akin to a natural disaster” and people can’t live there because there are unexploded munitions, debris and rubble.
“In the interim, obviously people are going to have to live somewhere while you’re rebuilding it,” the top diplomat said.
Germany's president says Trump's proposal is unacceptable under international law
ANKARA, Turkey — German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said that proposals for the deportation of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip were causing grave concerns in the region and were unacceptable under international law.
“Proposals to remove or relocate the Palestinians from the Gaza Strip or in other words to drive them out ... generate deep concern in some people, even horror,” Steinmeier said Wednesday after talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Turkish capital.
Steinmeier added such proposals were “not only unacceptable under international law” but would not serve as a “serious basis for talks” between regional actors and the United States.
The German president, who arrived in Ankara following trips to Saudi Arabia and Jordan, also reiterated Berlin’s support for a two-state solution.
The Arab League slams Trump's plan to ‘take over’ the Gaza Strip
CAIRO — The Arab League joined a chorus of rejections on Wednesday of President Donald Trump’s plan to “take over” the Gaza Strip.
The 22-member regional grouping said in a statement that Trump’s proposal “represents a recipe for instability” that does not advance Palestinian statehood. It said it rejected the displacement of the Palestinians and that Gaza was an integral part of any future Palestinian state.
Netanyahu gifted Trump a golden beeper
JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave U.S. President Donald Trump a golden beeper as a gift during their meeting in Washington, in a nod to a sophisticated attack that exploded hundreds of pagers and walkie-talkies belonging to Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon, an Israeli official said.
The attack, which showed a deep infiltration into Hezbollah’s ranks and its operations, wounded thousands of people and killed at least nine. It was carried out Sept. 18, 2024, just as fighting between Israel and the Lebanese militant group was escalating, culminating in the deaths of multiple Hezbollah leaders and an eventual ceasefire after months of cross-border violence.
The Israeli official said that Trump, upon receiving the gift, responded: “That was a major operation.” The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to reveal details of the encounter to the media. White House officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
The official said Trump and Netanyahu spent five hours together and that their visit included a dinner, a tour of the White House and meetings with officials.
— By Josef Federman
Palestinian refugees in Lebanon say Trump's proposal doomed to fail
BEIRUT — Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, many of whom in exile since 1948, believe that U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal for Gaza is doomed to fail, an activist said.
Suheil Natour, who heads an aid group in the Mar Elias camp in Beirut, said that neither the Palestinians themselves nor the neighboring countries that Trump suggested might absorb them will accept the population transfer plan.
He said that even U.S. allies like Egypt or Jordan refuse to be threatened to absorb the Palestinians from Gaza.
Fathi Kallab, a member of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a leftist political faction, said that the displacement of residents under humanitarian pretexts is “considered a war crime punishable by law, as recognized by multiple international organizations.”
UK prime minister says Palestinians must be allowed to return to Gaza
LONDON — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says Palestinians must be allowed to return to their homes in Gaza.
Asked in the House of Commons about U.S. President Donald Trump’s suggestion Palestinians in Gaza could go to neighboring countries while the U.S. takes ownership of the territory, Starmer referred to images of “thousands of Palestinians walking through the rubble” to get back to what remains of their homes.
“They must be allowed home,” Starmer said.” They must be allowed to rebuild, and we should be with them in that rebuild, on the way to a two-state solution.”
Russia backs the creation of a Palestinian state
MOSCOW — The Kremlin reaffirmed on Wednesday that the creation of a Palestinian state is essential for the Middle East settlement.
Asked about U.S. President Donald Trump’s suggestion that displaced Palestinians in Gaza be permanently resettled outside the territory, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded that Moscow has taken notice of Trump’s comment. At the same time, he added that Jordan and Egypt rejected the idea.
Peskov said that “the Middle East settlement can only take place on a two-state basis.”
“We support it and believe that this is the only possible option,” he told reporters.
Germany says Gaza, West Bank and east Jerusalem belong to Palestinians
BERLIN — The foreign minister of Germany, a staunch ally of Israel, said “it is clear that Gaza — along with the West Bank and east Jerusalem — belongs to the Palestinians. They form the starting point for a future state of Palestine.”
“A displacement of the Palestinian civilian population from Gaza would not just be unacceptable and against international law,” Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said in a statement. “This would also lead to new suffering and new hatred.”
She said that there must not be a solution “over the heads of the Palestinians” and a negotiated two-state solution remains the only one.
Baerbock, who didn’t mention Trump or refer explicitly to his latest proposal, said everyone agrees “that Gaza must be rebuilt as soon as possible,” and that that will take “massive international commitment,” to which Europe is prepared to contribute. She said there’s also agreement that “the terrorists of Hamas” must in the future play no role in Gaza.
She said that all efforts must now be directed toward implementing the second stage of the ceasefire agreement and securing the release of the remaining hostages.
Some Israelis praise Trump's plan for Gaza
JERUSALEM — Some Israelis praised U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal to transfer the Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and rebuild it as a tourist destination.
“As someone who served eight months in Gaza in the last reserve, I think it is absolutely necessary to agree with Trump’s plan to evacuate all the Arabs from there and build ... anything other than what is there today,” said Yaniv Cohen, a reservist soldier.
Israeli leaders also welcomed the plan, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu telling Trump at the White House: “You say things others refuse to say. And after the jaws drop, people scratch their heads and they say, ‘You know he’s right.’”
Bezalel Smotrich, Israel’s far-right finance minister in charge of settlement approval, thanked Trump for his comments.
Benny Gantz, a centrist politician and former general long seen as a more moderate alternative to Netanyahu, said Trump's proposal showed "creative, original and intriguing thinking," but that it should be studied alongside other war goals, "prioritizing the return of all the hostages."
There has not yet been a large-scale poll in Israel that would gauge a wider reaction to Trump’s comments, and many may find the plan extreme. Most Israelis are focused on bringing home the hostages remaining in Gaza and normalizing relations with Saudi Arabia and other countries — both of which appear less likely if Trump presses ahead with his proposal.
Robby Davidson, another Jerusalem resident, said he “loved” the plan because it would guarantee there was “no danger to us there in the south.”
A Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, triggered the 15-month war in Gaza, and many former residents are reluctant to return to the border area because they distrust the ability of Israel’s military to protect them from future attacks.
France warns against any displacement of Palestinians
PARIS — France firmly denounced any forced displacement of Gaza’s Palestinians, warning that it would cause upheaval across the Mideast.
In response to Trump’s comments, the French Foreign Minister said Tuesday that displacing Gaza’s Palestinians ″would constitute a grave violation of international law, an attack on the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinians, a major threat to the two-state solution and a factor of major destabilization for our close partners Egypt and Jordan as well as the entire region.″
It said France will mobilize for a two-state solution under the Palestinian Authority, and that ″Hamas should be disarmed and have no part in the governance of this territory.″
France also remains strongly opposed to Israeli settlements and ″any unilateral annexation of the West Bank,″ it said.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad group denounces Trump's ‘racist’ comments
CAIRO — The Palestinian Islamic Jihad group has denounced Trump’s “racist comments,” vowing to fight the U.S. president's plans in Gaza.
The group said in a statement that Israel’s bombing campaign had failed to force Palestinians to leave Gaza, and that Trump’s “recent comments won’t succeed in transferring them.”
The group vowed to fight against any plans to transfer the Palestinians out of their territories.
“Our Palestinian people always have the resistance option, which they have practiced for more than a century,” it said.
Egyptian and Palestinian officials call to rebuild Gaza without forcing out Palestinians
CAIRO — Egypt's foreign minister and the Palestinian prime minister on Wednesday called to rebuild Gaza without forcing out its Palestinians residents.
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohamad Mustafa provided “an integrated vision” to remove the rubble and rebuild Gaza in cooperation with international groups, according to an Egyptian Foreign Ministry statement after Mustafa met with Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty in Cairo.
The statement did not address Trump’s remarks directly but said both sides called to accelerate rebuilding and the delivery of aid “without moving the Palestinians out of the Gaza Strip.”
Turkish foreign minister says Trump's Gaza comments are ‘unacceptable’
ANKARA, Turkey — Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said President Donald Trump’s comments on the Gaza Strip were “unacceptable.”
Fidan, in an interview with the state-run Anadolu Agency on Wednesday, said the past displacement of Palestinians from their lands and the settlement of Israelis in those areas was the root cause of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“The issue of deportations from Gaza is not something that either the region or we would accept. Even thinking about it, in my opinion, is wrong and absurd,” he said.
Fidan added there is a general consensus for a two-state solution, with East Jerusalem as the capital of a sovereign Palestinian state.
Fidan also reiterated his concern that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could resume attacks on Gaza following the release of all Israeli hostages held by Hamas and questioned how effective countries involved in maintaining the ceasefire would be.
“We need to see what kind of stance or sanctions the guarantor countries might take. Among the countries guaranteeing the ceasefire, the only one that can exert significant pressure on Israel is the United States,” Fidan said.
China says it opposes the forced relocation of people in Gaza
BEIJING — China opposes the forced relocation of people in Gaza, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Wednesday in Beijing when asked about Trump’s comments.
“China has always believed that Palestinian rule is the basic principle of post-war governance in Gaza,” said spokesperson Lin Jian.
He reiterated Beijing’s longstanding support of a two-state solution in resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
US House Speaker praises Trump's remarks as taking ‘bold action’
WASHINGTON — U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, praised Trump’s remarks as taking a “bold action in hopes of achieving lasting peace in Gaza.”
“We are hopeful this brings much needed stability and security to the region,” he wrote on X.
Houthi leader says Trump's Gaza plan represents ‘American arrogance’
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — An official with Yemen’s Houthi rebels has criticized President Donald Trump’s comments on the Gaza Strip.
Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a Houthi leader, wrote on the social platform X that Trump’s remarks represented “American arrogance” that will subsume all if it is met with “submission from the Arabs.”
“If Egypt or Jordan or both decide to challenge America, Yemen will stand with all its strength by its side, to the furthest extent and without red lines,” he added.
The Houthis launched attacks on Israel and commercial shipping running through the Red Sea corridor during the Israel-Hamas war. Its attacks have stopped with the ceasefire in the war, but transits through the Suez Canal, crucial to Egypt’s economy, halved during its campaign.
Rubio backs Trump's comments on the Gaza Strip
WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has backed President Donald Trump’s comments on the Gaza Strip.
“Gaza MUST BE FREE from Hamas," Rubio wrote on the social platform X.
“The United States stands ready to lead and Make Gaza Beautiful Again,” Rubio wrote in a play on Trump’s “Make America Great Again” campaign slogan. “Our pursuit is one of lasting peace in the region for all people.”
However, the comments by Trump drew immediate criticism from Saudi Arabia and others in the Mideast, which long has advocated for the Palestinians to have an independent state of their own in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, with east Jerusalem as its capital.
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