On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump declared that his nation “will develop it,” “own it,” and retake the war-torn Gaza Strip after Palestinians have been relocated elsewhere. In a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following their meeting, the US President made the unexpected announcement and stated that he believes in “long-term US ownership” of Gaza.
Speaking beside Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the Republican leader’s proposal as “something that could change history” and pointed out that Trump had a different vision for Gaza’s future. It is anticipated that the declaration will have a profound effect on the geopolitical dynamics in the Middle East and cause shockwaves around the world.
Before a recent ceasefire, Israel and the Palestinian militant organization Hamas had been fighting a brutal war in Gaza since October 2023. Nearly every building in the strip has been damaged by Israeli shelling, making it unusable and forcing hundreds of thousands of people to relocate. There are roughly 2.1 million people living in the area, making it one of the most densely populated areas in the world.
“We will own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site,” the US President said. We would level destroyed buildings and “create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area,” he added. When asked about the possibility of deploying troops to fill any security vacuum in the region, he said, “We’ll do what is necessary. If it’s necessary, we’ll do that”. “If it’s necessary, we’ll do that, we’re going to take over that piece, we’re going to develop it, create thousands and thousands of jobs, and it’ll be something that the entire Middle East can be very proud of,” Trump added.
Trump stated that after his development plan, he hopes to see people from all over the world residing in Gaza. He also mentioned that he intends to travel to Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Gaza as part of a future Middle East tour. However, he did not specify any timing.
The Israel Prime Minister said that Trump was “thinking outside the box with fresh ideas” and was “showing willingness to puncture conventional thinking”. The US president did not, however, specify how or under what circumstances he could invade and permanently occupy Gaza, a foreign territory.
