What’s behind Trump’s call to take over Gaza?

Former U.S. President Donald Trump commented on the Gaza Strip during his inauguration on January 20, calling it a "great location" that could be used to "do something wonderful." Subsequently, on January 26, he told reporters on Air Force One that Palestinians should be transferred to Egypt and Jordan to "clean up" the enclave, a suggestion that seemed somewhat casual.

Whether this was a serious suggestion, and whether any displacement of Palestinians would be temporary or permanent, remained unclear as Trump continued to make sporadic comments on the topic. But then, on Tuesday, during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House—the first official visit by a foreign leader since the new president took office—Trump made a startling statement, declaring that the U.S. would "take over" and "own" Gaza, hoping that the Palestinians there would "go to other countries," which effectively amounts to ethnic cleansing.

On Wednesday, his press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, stated that Trump had not promised that U.S. troops would be deployed on the ground in Gaza, and that the people living there would be "temporarily relocated," but she did not provide further details about the plan. The plan has been widely opposed by Palestinians, Arab countries (including Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia), and many international nations.

Trump's true intentions are often difficult to ascertain. Middle East policy analyst Jasmine El-Gamal stated, "Trying to analyze Donald Trump's psychology is a futile exercise, no one knows what Trump is thinking." She also said, "It's hard to imagine that he believes the U.S. can go into Gaza, expel the people, and invite 'people of the world' to live there, as Trump said. It's absolutely fantasy... At the same time, it's important to continue to not normalize these ideas, but to assess the practicalities of the Arab position."

Trump's remarks have shocked many of his supporters. Even Republican Senator Lindsey Graham expressed skepticism about deploying U.S. troops in Gaza, and many other Republicans have expressed similar views. Furthermore, there is the reality that 2 million Palestinians would be forced to leave their homes, and the vast majority are unwilling to leave. This was demonstrated by the fact that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians displaced to southern Gaza during Israel's war on Gaza immediately returned to northern Gaza.

There is no doubt that any effort to ethnically cleanse Palestinians from Gaza would be met with armed resistance. Despite Israel's intense bombardment of Gaza during 15 months of fighting, which resulted in the deaths of over 61,000 Palestinians, its military has failed to crush Palestinian resistance. In fact, despite suffering losses, Hamas has reportedly recruited as many fighters as it has lost and has repaired much of its infrastructure.

El-Gamal pointed out that the U.S.'s partners in the region quickly rejected Trump's proposal. Saudi Arabia, eager to express the same position, issued a statement at 4:30 a.m. stating that it was unacceptable. Jordan's King Abdullah is scheduled to visit the White House next week. Press Secretary Leavitt suggested that the King might change his mind and accept Palestinian refugees from Gaza, just as other world leaders have backed down after confronting Trump.

Israeli politicians have long fantasized about occupying Gaza. Israel previously established illegal settlements in Gaza, but former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon withdrew them in 2005. Since then, Israel has rapidly expanded its illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem. Sharon defended the disengagement from Gaza, saying that Jewish Israelis would never be a majority in Gaza. However, Israel continues to control access to and airspace over Gaza, imposing a blockade since 2007, leading the enclave to be likened to an "open-air prison."

In March 2024, Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, suggested that Israel should move the Palestinian population out of Gaza and clean up the area, saying that "Gaza's waterfront property could be very valuable." He added that the population could be transferred to Egypt or the Negev Desert in southern Israel—Israel supports the former but refuses to consider the latter. Kushner, a real estate tycoon, was in charge of managing the Israeli-Palestinian peace process during Trump's first presidential term, a process that analysts say has effectively been stalled for about two decades.

Political consultant Hamdi said that Israel welcomes Trump's statement about expelling all the people of Gaza. However, Trump also implemented a ceasefire, which is not what many Israelis wanted. His intuition is that Trump is not inclined to support the continuation of the war and wants to find a way to empty Gaza without war. Hamdi also doubts whether Hamas can be completely eradicated. "Many people still support Hamas. We saw this after the ceasefire. The idea of 'resistance' is older than Hamas, and Hamas is just the latest manifestation of Palestinians trying to stop Israel from relentlessly driving them out of their homes."