Trump: ‘The US will take over the Gaza Strip’

President Donald Trump said that the United States would take control of the Gaza Strip after the war there ends, a significant pledge and a sharp change from previous American policy in the region.

Trump made the promise in a press conference on Tuesday evening alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is visiting Washington D.C.

The promise to take control of Gaza builds on Trump’s efforts to persuade Middle Eastern countries to take in Palestinians from Gaza — a plan he doubled down on in his remarks Tuesday. But in the press conference, he went further — saying that the United States would “take over” the area, clear it of explosives and rebuild it, a daunting task after much of the enclave has been destroyed.

“The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it too,” he said. “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 added that the United States would “create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area.”

The idea Trump proposed has never been seriously suggested before. While various proposals have suggested that a multinational force could secure Gaza after the war ends, none of the plans that have been made public envision the United States fully taking control of the territory. The Biden administration had pushed for the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority to take a leading role in governing the site, an idea Netanyahu rejected.

Israel’s neighbors have rejected the idea of depopulating Gaza, and have historically supported Palestinians governing Gaza. In response to whether the United States had the right to take over Gaza, Trump said he saw the United States controlling the area long-term.

“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,” he said. “This was not a decision made lightly. Everyone I’ve spoken to loves the idea of the United States owning that piece of land, developing and creating thousands of jobs.”

In his own opening remarks at the press conference, Netanyahu did not directly respond to Trump’s proposal. But he praised him for innovative thinking.

“I believe, Mr. President, that your willingness to puncture conventional thinking, thinking that has failed time and time and time again, your willingness oto think outside the box with fresh ideas, will help us achieve all these goals,” he said. “You say things others refuse to say, and after the jaws drop, people scratch their heads and they say, you know, he’s right.”