EBN- US President Donald Trump confirmed that his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu focused on ending Hamas in the Gaza Strip, noting that Washington will take over the administration and reconstruction of the Strip.
The United States will take control of the Gaza Strip, and we expect to have long-term ownership there,” Trump said at a joint press conference with Netanyahu at the White House, adding that his country would take responsibility for removing unexploded bombs and weapons, leveling the area, demolishing destroyed buildings, as well as providing jobs for young people and implementing comprehensive economic reforms in Gaza.
Trump added that the only reason Palestinians remain in Gaza is the lack of alternatives, stressing that “the Strip is full of rubble, and Gazans can be moved to other places to live in peace.”
Trump’s proposal drew sharp responses in the US and abroad. Here are some key reactions from around the world:
US Senator Chris Murphy
“He’s totally lost it,” Murphy, a Democrat, said on X. “A US invasion of Gaza would lead to the slaughter of thousands of US troops and decades of war in the Middle East. It’s like a bad, sick joke.”
US Senator Chris Van Hollen
“Trump’s proposal to push two million Palestinians out of Gaza and take ‘ownership’ by force, if necessary, is simply ethnic cleansing by another name,” Van Hollen, a Democrat, said. “This declaration will give ammunition to Iran and other adversaries while undermining our Arab partners in the region.”
Van Hollen said Trump proposal “defies decades of bipartisan American support for a two-state solution … Congress must stand up to this dangerous and reckless scheme.”
US Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib
Democratic US Representative Rashida Tlaib, who is Palestinian-American, stressed that “Palestinians aren’t going anywhere”.
“This president can only spew this fanatical bulls*** because of bipartisan support in Congress for funding genocide and ethnic cleansing. It’s time for my two-state solution colleagues to speak up.”
Russia
“There are Israeli plans to take full control of the occupied West Bank and attempts to displace Palestinians from the Gaza Strip,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, adding, “Practising a policy of collective punishment is a method that Russia rejects.”
The Kremlin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov added Russia believes a settlement in the Middle East is only possible on the basis of a two-state solution.
“This is the thesis that is enshrined in the relevant UN Security Council resolution, this is the thesis that is shared by the overwhelming majority of countries involved in this problem. We proceed from it, we support it and believe that this is the only possible option.”
China
China’s Foreign Ministry said it opposes the forced transfer of the people of Gaza and hopes all parties will take ceasefire and post-conflict governance as an opportunity to bring the Palestinian issue back to a political settlement based on the two-state solution.
Turkiye
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Trump’s comments are “unacceptable” and warned leaving Palestinians “out of the equation” would lead to more conflict.
Fidan said Turkiye would review the steps it has taken against Israel – cutting off trade and recalling its ambassador – if the killing of Palestinians stops and conditions change.
Germany
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said the Gaza Strip belongs to the Palestinian people, and their expulsion would be unacceptable and contrary to international law.
“It would also lead to new suffering and new hatred … There must be no solution over the heads of the Palestinians.”
France
“France reiterates its opposition to any forced displacement of the Palestinian population of Gaza, which would constitute a serious violation of international law, an attack on the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinians, but also a major obstacle to the two-state solution and a major destabilising factor for our close partners Egypt and Jordan, as well as for the entire region,” Foreign Ministry spokesman, Christophe Lemoine, said in a statement.
Lemoine added the future of Gaza should be in the context of a future Palestinian state and should not be controlled by a third country.
Spain
“I want to be very clear on this: Gaza is the land of Gazan Palestinians and they must stay in Gaza,” Spain’s Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said.
“Gaza is part of the future Palestinian state Spain supports and has to coexist guaranteeing the Israeli state’s prosperity and safety.”
