Palestinians and Arab states reject Trump's Gaza takeover plan

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has strongly opposed U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal for the United States to take over the Gaza Strip and resettle its 2.1 million Palestinian residents. Abbas emphasized that the Gaza Strip is "an indivisible part of the State of Palestine" and that any form of forced displacement would be a serious violation of international law.

Hamas has stated that Trump's plan would "add fuel to the fire." Previously, the 15-month war between Hamas and Israel had caused widespread destruction. Regional countries such as Jordan and Egypt, as well as key U.S. allies, have also expressed opposition to the idea, and the United Nations has warned against "any form of ethnic cleansing."

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated that Gaza is an integral part of a future Palestinian state, noting that the right of Palestinians to live as human beings in their homeland is becoming increasingly elusive. He added that the world has witnessed "chilling and systematic dehumanization and demonization of an entire people."

Saudi Arabia has stated that Palestinians "will not leave" their land and that Saudi Arabia will not normalize relations with Israel until a Palestinian state is established. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Trump's proposal could "change history" and is worthy of "attention." White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt subsequently clarified that the President is committed to rebuilding Gaza and "temporarily" relocating local residents, differing from Trump's previous statements about permanent relocation. She also stated that the President has not committed to sending U.S. troops to Gaza.

Trump's remarks broke decades of U.S. Middle East policy thinking. He stated that the United States would take over the Gaza Strip, be responsible for clearing all dangerous unexploded ordnance and other weapons, raze the area, and clear destroyed buildings. He also claimed that in order to realize his envisioned "Middle East Riviera," Palestinians living in Gaza must be moved to Jordan, Egypt, and other countries. Despite Jordan and Egypt's previous opposition to receiving refugees, Trump insisted they would eventually "open their arms" and provide the necessary land. Netanyahu also stated that there was nothing wrong with allowing Gazans who want to leave Gaza to leave, they can leave and then return, can be resettled and return, but Gaza must be rebuilt.

Meanwhile, a senior Israeli official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Trump's idea exceeded all his "expectations and dreams." Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said the proposal was "the real answer to the events of October 7" and pledged to "bury once and for all...the dangerous idea of a Palestinian state." U.S. Senator Marco Rubio described the plan as a "generous proposal" to rebuild Gaza, not a hostile takeover. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth praised Trump's "out-of-the-box" thinking and said the Pentagon was "prepared to consider all options related to the enclave."

The Palestinian leadership issued a statement condemning the plan. Abbas said, "These calls are a serious violation of international law," adding, "There can be no peace and stability in the region without the establishment of a Palestinian state." He also declared that Palestinians would not "give up their land, rights, and holy sites," and that the Gaza Strip is "an indivisible part of the land of the State of Palestine, just like the West Bank and East Jerusalem."

Husam Zomlot, head of the Palestinian Mission to the UK, said: "This is a call for ethnic cleansing, a call for forced displacement, and for uprooting people from their homeland. It is immoral, illegal and dangerous." Hamas said in a statement that Trump "aims to have the United States occupy the Gaza Strip" and warned that his proposal is "aggressive against our people and cause, does not contribute to stability in the region, and only adds fuel to the fire."

Palestinians in Gaza have also said that the plan is completely unacceptable. One man told BBC Arabic: "We have endured nearly a year and a half of bombing and destruction, but we remain in Gaza. We would rather die in Gaza than leave. We will stay here until it is rebuilt. Trump can do whatever he wants, but we firmly reject his decision." Palestinians also fear a repeat of the "Nakba," the "catastrophe" in which hundreds of thousands of people fled or were expelled from their homes around the time of Israel's founding in 1948.

The Saudi Arabian Foreign Ministry stated that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia "categorically rejects" Trump's proposal and will continue to work towards the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. The Egyptian Foreign Minister said he agreed with the Palestinian Authority Prime Minister on the importance of advancing "early recovery projects" and that Palestinians should not be allowed to leave Gaza. Jordan's King Abdullah said he rejects any attempts to "annex land or displace Palestinians," and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said it was "absurd to even consider" moving Palestinians from Gaza. Western governments have also expressed concern about any forced displacement.

The French Foreign Ministry said it would mean "a serious violation of international law," an attack on Palestinian aspirations, and would be "a major obstacle to the two-state solution." UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Palestinians "must be allowed to go home," "they must be allowed to rebuild, and we should rebuild with them, towards a two-state solution."