Washington: US President Donald Trump has said that his country will take over the war-torn Palestinian territory, the Gaza Strip, after Palestinians are resettled elsewhere and "will develop it," and "own it". The US President made the surprise announcement in a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu where he said that he sees a "long-term US ownership" of Gaza.
“We will own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site,” the US President said. We would level destroyed buildings and “create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area," he added.
When asked about the possibility of deploying troops to fill any security vacuum in the region, he said, “We’ll do what is necessary. If it’s necessary, we’ll do that”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who spoke alongside Trump, said the Republican leader's idea is "something that could change history" and noted that Trump envisions a different future for Gaza. The announcement is expected to send shockwaves across the globe and significantly impact the geopolitical dynamics in the Middle East.
However, the US President did not explain how and under what authority he could take over Gaza, a foreign land, and occupy it in the long term.
"Recipe for creating chaos"The Gaza-based Hamas militant group has criticized US President Donald Trump’s remarks and said that it is a “recipe for creating chaos” in the Middle East. “We consider it a recipe for creating chaos and tension in the region. Our people in the Gaza Strip will not allow these plans to pass,” the group said in a statement, as quoted by AFP. "What is required is an end to the occupation and aggression against our people, not their expulsion from their land," the group added. Meanwhile, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in response to Trump's announcement that his government supports a two-state solution in the Middle East. |
