US President Donald Trump has proposed relocating the entire population of the Gaza Strip and handing it over to the United States, but made it clear that he is not forcing his plan on Arab states. The proposal, which has been met with widespread rejection, aims to establish a “clean slate” in the territory.
Trump’s comments come as tensions rise over an Israel-Hamas ceasefire and hostage release deal. He repeated his comparison of recently returned Israeli hostages to Holocaust survivors, and ridiculed former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s 2005 unilateral withdrawal from Gaza.
The plan has been endorsed by Israel’s government, but Arab states have roundly rejected the idea. A group of Arab leaders met on Friday to discuss an alternative plan that would leave Gaza’s population of approximately 2 million in place.
Trump believes that Arab states will eventually come around to his proposal, citing the amount of aid the United States provides to Palestinians from Gaza. However, for now, he is signaling that he will not insist on his plan, but rather recommend it to others.
The US President also discussed Israel’s past decisions, including the 2005 unilateral evacuation of its settlements and soldiers from Gaza. He questioned why Israel gave up control of the territory, calling it a “bad real estate deal.”
Trump expressed concern over Hamas’ return of the bodies of two Israeli hostages, but said he would accept either prioritizing their rescue or finishing off Hamas.
Source: https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-843229