US to ‘take over, level’ Gaza ‘hellhole’: Trump
Matthew CranstonUnited States correspondent
Feb 5, 2025 – 12.35pm
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Washington | President Donald Trump wants the United States to take over the Gaza Strip and assume responsibility for redeveloping the war-torn territory after Palestinians are resettled elsewhere.
Mr Trump unveiled his stunning plan, without providing specifics, at a joint press conference with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a move that would shatter decades of US policy toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
President Donald Trump meets with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office. AP
“The US will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it, too,” Mr Trump said on Tuesday (Wednesday AEDT).
“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.”
He said he wanted to create “economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area”.
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The president suggested he would be open to deploying US troops to secure the area, saying he would “do what is necessary”, and added that he saw the US presence in the contested territory as a “long-term ownership position”. The New York real estate developer painted a vision of a “Riviera of the Middle East” with “world-class” construction projects.
“Gaza is a hellhole right now. It was before the bombing started, frankly, and we’re going to give people a chance to live in a beautiful community that’s safe and secure. I don’t want to be cute, I don’t want to be a wise guy but the Riviera of the Middle East, this could be something.”
The president said he had spoken to Middle East leaders and they “love the idea”. Mr Trump also repeated his calls for other nations in the region to take in Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, despite neighbouring countries stating publicly they were not interested in doing so.
This time, however, Mr Trump said he would support resettling Palestinians “permanently”, going beyond his previous suggestions that Arab leaders had already steadfastly rejected.
Forced displacement of Gaza’s population would likely be a violation of international law and would be fiercely opposed not only in the region but also by Washington’s Western allies.
Mr Trump made the provocative comments at the start of his meeting with Mr Netanyahu at the White House, where the two leaders also discussed the fragile ceasefire and hostage deal in the Israeli-Hamas conflict.
Much of Gaza is in ruins after Israel’s 15-month war in response to the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023, which is now in the six-week ceasefire.
Netanyahu entertains idea
Mr Netanyahu seemed to entertain Mr Trump’s ownership idea, but stopped short of fully endorsing the proposal, which, if pursued, would represent a dramatic new US intervention in the Middle East and upend decades of foreign policy doctrine.Mr Netanyahu, who acknowledged Mr Trump as the “greatest friend Israel has ever had”, said his view on taking over Gaza was different but that he was also considering the merits of it.
“President Trump is taking it to a much higher level. He sees a different future for that piece of land that has been the focus of so much terrorism,” Mr Netanyahu said.
“I think it’s worth paying attention to this. We’re talking about it. He’s exploring it with his people, with his staff. I think it’s something that could change history.”
Mr Netanyahu is facing competing pressure from his right-wing coalition to end a temporary truce against Hamas militants in Gaza and from war-weary Israelis who want the remaining hostages home and for the conflict to end.
The president was asked by a reporter what authority he has to take over a sovereign territory, and he replied that he’s studied the matter closely for months.
“I do see a long-term ownership position, and I see it bringing great stability to that part of the Middle East, and maybe the entire Middle East,” Mr Trump said.
The White House’s focus on the future of Gaza’s more than 2 million residents comes as the nascent truce between Israel and Hamas hangs in the balance as negotiations begin on the next phase of the ceasefire.
Earlier on Tuesday Mr Trump signed an executive order to withdraw the US from the United Nations Human Rights Council.
During his first term as president, Trump also cut ties with the UNHRC, an organisation that US leaders from both parties have long said has a bias against Israel.
