Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly approves of President Donald Trump’s plan to relocate Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip to pave the way for a U.S. takeover of the region. He has instructed the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) to prepare to carry out the initiative.
Trump announced the plan during a joint press conference with Netanyahu on Tuesday. “The U.S. will take over the Gaza strip ... and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous, unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site ... create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area,” the president said.
President Trump on securing PEACE in Gaza: "The U.S. will take over the Gaza strip ... and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous, unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site ... create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing… pic.twitter.com/sr3rnO0fE4
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 5, 2025
Netanyahu lauded the plan, telling Fox News, “The actual idea of allowing for its Gazans who want to leave to leave, I mean, what is wrong with that?”
He continued, asserting that “They can leave. They can come back. They can relocate and come back, but you have to rebuild Gaza.”
Trump’s announcement met with a fierce backlash from members of the chattering class as well as world governments, which argued that the move would be inhumane and amount to ethnic cleansing.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry said it “rejects any attempts to displace the Palestinians from their land.” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer insisted that the Palestinians “must be allowed home, they must be allowed to rebuild, and we should be with them in that rebuild on the way to a two-state solution.”
Rep. Al Green (D-TX) used the announcement as an excuse to introduce articles of impeachment against the president, arguing that “Ethnic cleansing has been a crime against humanity.”
In a post on Truth Social on Thursday, President Trump defended the plan, explaining that “The Gaza Strip would be turned over to the United States by Israel at the conclusion of fighting.”
He further stated that “The Palestinians, people like Chuck Schumer, would have already been resettled in far safer and more beautiful communities, with new and modern homes, in the region.”
They would actually have a chance to be happy, safe, and free. The U.S., working with great development teams from all over the World, would slowly and carefully begin the construction of what would become one of the greatest and most spectacular developments of its kind on Earth. No soldiers by the U.S. would be needed! Stability for the region would reign!!!
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Thursday instructed the IDF to concoct a plan “to enable the voluntary departure of Gaza residents,” CNN reported.
Katz said Trump’s plan “will take many years,” during which Palestinians would be integrated “into host countries while facilitating long-term reconstruction efforts in a demilitarized and threat-free Gaza in a post-Hamas era.”
The Israeli minister said countries including Spain, Ireland and Norway – who have all accused Israel of breaking international law during its military campaign in Gaza – are “legally obligated to accept any Gazan resident who wishes to enter their territory.”
However, CNN noted that most of Gaza’s residents do not wish to leave the region. This could complicate the matter, especially if the IDF forcefully removes them.
Meanwhile, the IDF continues its effort to eradicate Hamas while rescuing hostages that were taken on October 7, 2023. “We have decimated most of Hamas’ military power, not all,” Netanyahu told Fox News, further vowing to “make sure it is not there when this war ends.”
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