Donald Trump: "I decided to buy Gaza"

US President Donald Trump said he could buy the Gaza Strip, establish control over it and then rebuild it with the help of Arab countries. This was reported by Reuters.

Trump made the relevant statement aboard Air Force One during a flight to New Orleans.

"I have decided to buy Gaza and own it. As for the reconstruction, we can hand it over to other countries in the Middle East, so that they can rebuild individual parts or others can do it under our auspices," the US president said.

He explained that the US is forced to maintain control of the Gaza Strip to prevent Hamas from returning to the territory.

“There is no place to go back to. This place must be completely demolished. The rest will be demolished. Everything will be destroyed,” the politician said.

Trump also said that he was open to the possibility of allowing some Palestinian refugees into the US, but that such requests would be considered separately.

His recent remarks about buying and owning Gaza were condemned by Hamas politburo member Ezzat Al-Rashq.

“Gaza is not property that can be bought and sold. It is an integral part of our occupied Palestinian land,” he said, adding that the Palestinians oppose the relocation plans.

Trump: “The US will run the Gaza Strip”

The US president has called the Gaza Strip a “demolition site.” He suggested that the enclave's residents could be relocated to various countries, including Jordan and Egypt. He stressed that the United States would not finance the process, as Middle Eastern countries would be able to cover the costs. Washington, however, said it would be responsible for the region and could send troops if necessary.

In response to this proposal, Arab leaders wrote to the US Secretary of State, calling the expulsion of Palestinians unacceptable, calling it not only a violation of international law but also a threat to regional security.

How do others react?

The Saudi government said in a statement that it would not accept any attempts to displace Palestinians from their land and would not establish relations with Israel until a Palestinian state is established.

Hamas condemned Trump's calls to expel Palestinians from Gaza, calling them "expulsion from their land."

Australian Indigenous politician Lydia Thorpe described Trump's comments about "occupying" Gaza as "an open call for ethnic cleansing and colonialism."

Amnesty International said in November that the International Criminal Court (ICC) had issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu, but that the US was "demonstrating its contempt for international justice" by not arresting him.

A number of Democrats in the US have criticised Trump's plan, with Democratic Senator Chris Murphy saying a US invasion of Gaza would lead to the deaths of thousands of American soldiers and a decades-long war in the Middle East. Follow “Zamin” news on “Telegram”