Washington [US], February 6: US President Donald Trump wants to take ownership of the Gaza Strip and send Palestinians to live in Arab countries in the region.
Yesterday morning (February 4 evening US time), President Trump held a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House and made shocking proposals that could create major changes for the entire Middle East.
"Riviera of the Middle East"
During the press conference, Mr. Trump said he would clear mines and rubble in the Gaza Strip to rebuild it into the "Riviera of the Middle East," referring to the famous Mediterranean resort towns in southern France. "The United States will take over the Gaza Strip and we will work with it. We will own it, develop it and create thousands of jobs ," Mr. Trump said, claiming to have many supporters, including top leaders in the Middle East, according to AFP.
The president argued that Gaza had been devastated by the war, but Palestinians were forced to live there because they had no other choice. He then suggested sending the more than 2 million Palestinians in Gaza to live in Arab countries in the region such as Egypt or Jordan, despite the two countries' outright objections.
Asked if he was suggesting a permanent US occupation of a sovereign territory and who would live in Gaza after it is rebuilt, President Trump said he envisioned permanent US ownership of Gaza and said international citizens, including Palestinians, would live there after it is renovated. He also did not rule out sending US troops to guard the land "if necessary."
"Changing History"
At a press conference, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said President Trump's proposal could "change history" and was worth paying attention to. Netanyahu's visit to the White House coincided with the start of negotiations for phase two of a ceasefire and hostage release agreement between Hamas and Israel. According to AP, Trump's proposals, especially US ownership of Gaza and the removal of Palestinians from there, could completely change the negotiations. If the negotiations fail, fighting will likely resume and threaten the fate of dozens of hostages still held there.
For Palestinians, Mr Trump's idea raises fears of the Nakba, the event in which hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were forced from their homes during the war that established the state of Israel nearly eight decades ago.
Hamas issued a statement yesterday rejecting Mr Trump's remarks, calling the US president's idea a "recipe for chaos and tension in the region". The Saudi Arabian government, which the US is seeking to build a diplomatic bridge with its ally Israel , also opposes the removal of Palestinians from their land and has said it will not establish relations with Israel without a Palestinian state. In the US, a number of lawmakers from both the Democratic and Republican parties said Mr Trump's proposal was "problematic" and "dangerous".
Meanwhile, President Trump signed an executive order on the same day to restore the policy of maximum pressure on Iran. The decree gives top ministers the authority to implement sanctions necessary to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles, neutralize Iran's influence network, and counter its development of conventional weapons.
At the signing ceremony, Mr. Trump warned that Iran would be destroyed if it tried to assassinate him but said he was ready to talk to the Gulf nation, according to Fox News. The Iranian Foreign Ministry later asserted that the US pressure policy would fail as it did during Mr. Trump's first term, but said that concerns about nuclear weapons could be resolved because Iran opposes them.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper