Published: 6 February 2025
Last updated: 6 February 2025
At a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Tuesday, President Donald Trump declared that the US “will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it, too.”
He did not rule out using US soldiers to redevelop the area. “We’ll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site,” he said. “Level the site, get rid of the destroyed buildings, level it out, and create economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area. Do a real job, do something different.”
Trump has also supported resettling Palestinians from Gaza in places where they could live without fear of violence, saying that he and his team have discussed with Jordan, Egypt, and other regional countries.
His plan shocked the world and has already drawn opposition from Europe, Russia, China, and others. Here are our key takeaways from the plan and its aftermath:
The plan is not realistic
Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen from Axios describe the massive obstacles to Trump’s vision:
- The human toll: Two million Palestinians call Gaza home and have not consented to being forced out of their territory, despite the colossal destruction from 16 months of war.
- Opposition from regional leaders: The leaders of Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia have vehemently rejected Trump’s proposal.
- Contradictions in US policy: Trump campaigned on ending foreign wars but left the door open to sending US troops to Gaza “if necessary.”
- Concerns among Republicans: Trump’s "America First" allies in the Republican Party are privately sceptical, especially as his administration is actively dismantling USAID for using taxpayer dollars overseas.
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