Washington, D.C. — February 5, 2025
President Donald Trump has suggested that the United States should “take over” the Gaza Strip and relocate its Palestinian population while the territory is rebuilt, igniting fierce backlash from Palestinian leaders, U.S. lawmakers, and international observers.
Speaking at the White House alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, Trump described his vision for a complete transformation of the war-torn enclave, calling Gaza a “symbol of death and destruction” and proposing a U.S.-led reconstruction effort.
“The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it too,” Trump stated. “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.”
He further proposed that Gaza’s 1.8 million Palestinian residents could be relocated to neighboring countries with ‘humanitarian hearts’ and ‘great wealth’, according to The Guardian.
Palestinian Leadership Rejects Trump’s Proposal
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas swiftly condemned the remarks, calling them a blatant violation of Palestinian sovereignty.
“We strongly reject calls to seize the Gaza Strip and displace Palestinians outside their homeland,” Abbas’s office said in a statement translated by AFP. “Gaza is an integral part of the State of Palestine, and legitimate Palestinian rights are not negotiable.”
Palestinian civilians also rejected Trump’s idea. Rewaa Mohsen, a nurse in central Gaza, insisted she and her family would not leave.
“The Israeli army killed us, but we remain in our destroyed houses. We don’t need life outside our land, and we will not move one meter away from it,” she told the BBC.
Backlash from U.S. Lawmakers
Trump’s remarks drew sharp criticism from Democrats and Republicans alike.
“You can report that I was speechless… That’s insane,” said Sen. Chris Coons, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, in comments reported by NBC News. “I can’t think of a place on Earth that would welcome American troops less and where any positive outcome is less likely.”
Rep. Rashida Tlaib, the first Palestinian American woman elected to Congress, denounced the suggestion on X (formerly Twitter), declaring:
“Palestinians aren’t going anywhere.”
Netanyahu’s Visit and U.S.-Israel Relations
Trump’s comments came during Netanyahu’s first visit to Washington since the U.S. president assumed office for a second term on January 20. The Israeli leader has faced mounting pressure over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and Israel’s military operations in the region.
While Netanyahu did not directly comment on Trump’s takeover proposal, he has previously insisted that Israel will maintain security control over Gaza “indefinitely.”
Global Implications
Trump’s remarks have raised fresh concerns about U.S. involvement in Middle East conflicts and the potential for further instability. Analysts warn that any attempt to forcibly relocate Palestinians or impose U.S. governance on Gaza could trigger widespread resistance and diplomatic fallout.
“A U.S. military presence in Gaza would be disastrous,” said Dr. Aaron David Miller, a former State Department adviser on Middle East affairs. “The idea that America can ‘own’ Gaza and remake it in its image is unrealistic and ignores the complex history of the region.”
With Palestinian leaders rejecting the proposal and U.S. lawmakers voicing opposition, it remains unclear whether Trump will pursue the idea further—or whether it was merely a rhetorical provocation rather than a concrete policy plan.
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