Key Insights into Donald Trump’s Gaza Plan | World News

Donald Trump’s declaration to “develop” Gaza and transform it into the “Riviera of the Middle East” has been criticized as “absurd” and “completely unrealistic”.

During a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu late on Tuesday, Mr. Trump suggested that the two million residents of Gaza could be relocated to Jordan, Egypt, or beyond.

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While the process of rebuilding Gaza post-conflict with Hamas remains uncertain, questions also arise regarding how the US would “own” Gaza, resettle its inhabitants, and redevelop the land.

What did Trump say regarding the Gaza Strip?

Mr. Trump characterized Gaza as a “demolition zone” where “almost every structure is down”.

He elaborated on his vision for Gaza after a potential ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, stating: “The US will take control of the Gaza Strip and we will manage it effectively.”

He added that America would be “in charge of removing all hazardous unexploded ordnance and other weapons from the area”, followed by “clearing away the destroyed buildings” and “flattening the terrain”.

He proposed an “economic revival”, which he referred to as the “Riviera of the Middle East” – envisioning the creation of thousands of jobs.

“Everyone I’ve talked to finds the idea of the United States owning that land, developing it, and generating thousands of jobs appealing,” he emphasized.

The White House labeled the initiative “innovative” and “forward-thinking”.

What about the local population?

According to Mr. Trump’s plans, Gaza’s two million residents would not be able to return to their territory.

Instead, he proposed constructing “various areas” for them to “live peacefully and harmoniously, rather than returning to face similar issues”.

This could materialize as “multiple smaller sites” or “one large area”, he further explained.

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The only countries he specifically mentioned were Jordan and Egypt, which, despite resistance from their leaders to accepting additional Palestinian refugees, he claimed would “provide the land required to achieve this”.

He described the new sites as “beautiful regions for permanent resettlement in comfortable homes, offering security compared to the violence currently unfolding in Gaza”.

He suggested that “wealthy neighboring nations” could finance such efforts, although he did not clarify the extent of US involvement.

No information was provided on whether these plans would alter the current US stance on a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians.

Who governs Gaza, and what is its historical context?

Since 2007, Gaza has been under the control of Hamas, which emerged victorious in the 2006 elections and subsequent violent confrontations with the Palestinian group Fatah.

The region comprising Gaza, Israel, and the West Bank has a complex history, with both Israelis and Palestinians asserting claims to various portions.

In 1917, the British captured what was then known as Palestine from the Ottoman Empire.

The Balfour Declaration included a commitment to establishing a Jewish homeland in the region.

Following this, Jewish immigration to the area surged, spurred by the rising threat of Nazism in Europe and the Second World War, leading to increased tensions with the Palestinians already inhabiting the land.

When the United Nations was founded post-war in 1947, it proposed a partition plan: approximately 45% of the area for Palestinians and 55% for Jews, making Jerusalem a separate international territory due to its religious significance for both groups.

This proposal was never executed, and the state of Israel was declared in 1948 instead.

The Arab-Israeli war that erupted immediately after the declaration resulted in approximately 750,000 Palestinians being displaced, an event referred to as the Nakba, meaning “catastrophe”. They were granted refugee status by the UN and fled to neighboring countries.

Only two small regions remained under Palestinian control – present-day Gaza and the West Bank.

During the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel captured Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, along with Syria’s Golan Heights, displacing hundreds of thousands of additional Palestinians.

During his first tenure, Donald Trump acknowledged Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights.

Since then, various factions have sought control over Gaza, including Hamas and the Palestinian Authority.

There was optimism surrounding a two-state solution, with a commitment to peace laid out in the Oslo Accords, which aimed for resolution within five years.

This vision has remained unrealized, leading to Gaza being increasingly isolated from external resources.

The UN operates refugee camps to accommodate millions of displaced Palestinians, both within Gaza and the West Bank, as well as in neighboring Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.

Prior to the 2023 conflict between Israel and Hamas, tensions were escalating in Palestinian communities as Israel continued its settlement expansion in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Trump’s Gaza initiative deemed ‘absurd’ and the US lacks ‘authority’

Countries like Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia, which traditionally support the Palestinian cause, promptly dismissed Mr. Trump’s proposals.

These nations, along with Syria and Lebanon, are currently grappling with the challenge of assisting millions of displaced Palestinians.

Hamas criticized the suggestions as “ridiculous and absurd”, according to spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri.

The Palestinian Liberation Organization reaffirmed its commitment to the two-state solution.

Sky News Middle East correspondent Alistair Bunkall observed that the proposals have left regional leaders “dumbfounded”.

“It’s entirely unrealistic on numerous fronts,” he remarked.

Forcing Palestinians from Gaza would violate their international law rights to self-determination and could be seen as ethnic cleansing, he argues.

The chair of the UK’s Defence Select Committee, Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood, stated this approach would necessitate “at least 50,000” US troops in the area over several years.

This would pose a “significant logistical challenge”, as US military resources would have to be refocused from other global obligations.

Moreover, it is inconsistent with Mr. Trump’s previous indications to reduce US involvement in the Middle East and adopt a more isolationist foreign stance.

Many Gazans have endured dire living circumstances with the hope that Gaza will eventually be rebuilt as an integral part of an independent Palestinian state.

Consequently, the majority would prefer to stay, Bunkall notes, adding: “Ask any Gazan and they will tell you it’s their home, regardless of how dreadful the conditions are.”

The international community has historically participated in the reconstruction of war-impacted nations throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. In this regard, the US could be assigned the role of a “reconstruction power” in Gaza.

However, in instances like post-World War II Germany or Japan, allies returned the land following reconstruction efforts instead of resettling the original inhabitants elsewhere.