International opposition to Trump’s Gaza plan as Israeli leaders voice their support

Global reactions to President Donald Trump’s announcement on Tuesday about the United States assuming control of the Gaza Strip for redevelopment varied from disbelief and anger to jubilation.

Key nations worldwide, including U.S. allies, outright rejected the proposal.

Saudi Arabia, a country that Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu aim to normalize relations with, reiterated its stance against normalization without the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

The Saudi foreign ministry also opposed Trump’s plan to relocate Gaza’s current residents elsewhere.

France’s foreign ministry, rejecting the proposal, stated in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz that it “would be a serious breach of international law, an attack on the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinians, a major impediment to the two-state solution, and a significant destabilizing factor for our close partners Egypt and Jordan, as well as for the entire region.”

Jordan’s King Abdullah rebuffed any attempts to annex land and displace Palestinians, according to the Times of Israel.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer emphasized in the British Parliament that the Palestinians should have the right to return home, rebuild, and receive support towards a two-state solution.

Both Spain and Russia reaffirmed their backing for a two-state solution.

The militant group Hamas, in control of Gaza since Israel’s withdrawal in 2005, opposed the plan, with spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri condemning Trump’s comments as “absurd” and “a recipe for sowing chaos and tension in the region.”

Hamas initiated the conflict that led to Gaza’s devastation with its attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which resulted in 1,200 casualties, the majority being Israeli civilians along with foreign nationals, hundreds of Israeli soldiers, 251 hostages, and thousands wounded.

According to authorities from the Gaza Health Ministry, managed by Hamas, Israel’s retaliatory strike on Gaza claimed over 46,000 lives, without distinguishing between civilians and militants.

Israel claims that nearly half of the casualties were militants, and half of the remaining individuals were used as human shields.

Trump’s announcement about the Gaza Strip came during a press briefing at the White House following a private meeting with Netanyahu, who was in Washington for the week.

The president pointed to the unlivable conditions and prolonged history of violence and failure in the war-torn area as factors influencing his decision to explore new possibilities.

Trump reasserted his previous suggestion that approximately 1.7 million Gazans relocate to Egypt and Jordan, where safe and clean communities would be established for them.

Meanwhile, the United States would oversee the redevelopment of Gaza, remove debris and unexploded ordnance, and transform it into an international community, a “Riviera.”

Specifics about the fate of the current residents or their potential to return were not disclosed.

Former Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir praised Trump in a social media post, asserting that encouraging Gazans to emigrate was the correct strategy to end the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

He urged Netanyahu to promptly adopt this policy, as he had resigned from Ben Gvir’s governing coalition following the Jan. 19 cease-fire.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, still part of Netanyahu’s coalition but threatening to exit if conflict is not resumed to eliminate Hamas, expressed gratitude to Trump in a social media update.

As reported by Haaretz, he quoted lyrics from a popular Hebrew song: “[It will keep getting] better and better. Together, we will make the world great again.”

In a released statement, Smotrich stated: “The plan outlined yesterday by President Trump is the rightful response to Oct. 7. Those responsible for the horrific massacre on our land will find themselves losing it forever.”

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.