Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Israeli media: Intense US efforts are being made to resolve differences, such as the issue of the Israeli presence on Mount Hermon and in southern Syria
Israeli media: The security agreement means amending the disengagement agreement, which will also address the Druze issue
Israeli media: Attempts to reach a security agreement between 'Israel' and Syria were among the topics discussed at the Paris meeting
Israeli media: Sheikh Muwaffaq Tarif rejected a US proposal to join the recent tripartite meeting between Tom Barrack, al-Shaibani, and Dermer
Saba News Agency: Two martyred, five injured in a preliminary toll of the Israeli aggression on the Yemeni Oil Company station on Al-Sitteen Street in Sanaa
Senior Yemeni military source to Al Mayadeen: We observed a state of confusion among the enemy's aircraft squadron after Yemeni air defenses intercepted the attack
Senior Yemeni military source to Al Mayadeen: The Yemeni air defense forces succeeded in neutralizing a squadron of enemy aircraft and prevented airstrikes on some governorates
Senior Yemeni military source to Al Mayadeen: Our air defenses and missile forces forced a formation of enemy aircraft to flee the airspace
Member of the Ansar Allah Political Bureau, Mohammed al-Bukhaiti: The Israeli aggression on Yemen will not deter us from continuing to support Gaza, no matter the sacrifices
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The Israeli aggression targeted the Yemeni Oil Company station on Al-Sitteen Street, southwest of the capital, Sanaa, with several raids

Trump's Gaza pledges, comments stun region, White House staff

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 5 Feb 2025 19:14
6 Min Read

US President Donald Trump shocked his allies and aides alike with his statements about a Gaza "take over" and a displacement of its residents.

Listen
  • x
  • President Donald Trump shakes hands with Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after a news conference in the East Room of the White House, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, in Washington (AP)
    President Donald Trump shakes hands with Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after a news conference in the East Room of the White House, Tuesday, February 4, 2025, in Washington. (AP)

US President Donald Trump’s declaration that the US could "take over" Gaza has triggered shockwaves among American officials, Israeli right-wing circles, and Arab governments, sources told Axios.

During an Oval Office meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump proposed transforming war-ravaged Gaza into the "Riviera of the Middle East" and inviting "the world's people" to settle there. His comments, made in front of 150 journalists, surprised even his closest advisors, as he suggested that the US would "own" the Palestinian territory.

Israeli officials present at the meeting, particularly those from Netanyahu’s delegation, reportedly reacted with enthusiasm.

A senior Israeli official described the meeting as "truly historic," praising Trump’s proposal as a "genius solution" to long-standing Israeli concerns. Right-wing Israeli figures interpreted his remarks as a green light for full Israeli occupation and settlement expansion in Gaza. 

Arab leaders alarmed

Trump’s remarks came at a delicate moment in ongoing ceasefire negotiations between the Israeli occupation and Hamas, raising concerns that his plan could embolden both Netanyahu and Hamas to resume hostilities.

The proposal deeply alarmed regional leaders, particularly in Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. These governments were already wary of Trump's previous remarks advocating for the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza.

In an immediate response, the Saudi Foreign Ministry issued a strongly worded rejection of Trump's claim that the kingdom would normalize relations with the Israeli occupation without Palestinian statehood. "The Saudi crown prince doesn’t want to be seen as being part of what Trump is talking about," a US source close to the Saudis said.

It remains uncertain how Trump formulated his idea of a US takeover of Gaza. Sources close to him suggest he was moved by the scale of destruction in the blockaded strip and saw an opportunity for reconstruction, though his plan overlooked the historical trauma of Palestinian displacement. One US official claimed Trump put forward his proposal because he believed "no one else had any new ideas for Gaza."

Trump’s comments are also expected to complicate ongoing negotiations over the captives held by Hamas and the fragile ceasefire deal. Netanyahu, already under pressure from hardliners within the Israeli regime, may see Trump’s remarks as justification to extend the war effort.

King Abdullah II of Jordan is set to visit Washington next week, followed by Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Both leaders are expected to confront Trump over his Gaza proposal, setting the stage for tense diplomatic meetings.

Trump promotes ethnic cleansing of Palestinians

Related News

Merz eyes new alike-thinking trade partners over US tariffs

JD Vance says 'Russians have made significant concessions' to Trump

Trump pushed for Washignton's "take over" of the Gaza Strip, during a joint news conference held with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"The US will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it, too. We'll own it. And be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on this site," Trump said.

Although Trump’s rhetoric was blunt, the idea of forcibly displacing Palestinians from their homeland has been a recurring theme in Israeli discourse since the establishment of the occupation. Often referred to with terminology like "transfer" or "incentivized immigration," these terms have long served as a facade for what is, in effect, ethnic cleansing. 

The strategy has relied on making life in the occupied territories increasingly intolerable, pushing millions of Palestinians into permanent displacement under the guise of voluntary relocation.

Widespread criticism

Palestinian officials and factions have rejected and denounced Trump’s recent remarks, calling them a reflection of "ignorance" and an "unwavering alignment" with Israeli interests.

This comes shortly after Trump pushed for Washignton's "takeover" of the Gaza Strip, during a joint news conference held with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"The US will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it, too. We'll own it. And be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on this site," Trump said. 

The statement emphasized that Hamas and the Palestinian people would never allow any entity to occupy their land or impose external governance.

The group reaffirmed its commitment to establishing a Palestinian state with al-Quds as its capital, calling for international bodies like the United Nations, the Arab League, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to urgently address the situation.

Scheme to eliminate the Palestinian cause

Hamas spokesperson Abdel Latif al-Qanou also condemned Trump’s proposal, warning that it was part of a broader scheme to "eliminate the Palestinian cause."

"This is a desperate attempt to wipe out our just cause," he said, calling Trump’s rhetoric "dangerous" and aligned with the agenda of "Israel’s" far-right government.

Al-Qanou insisted that Palestinians would never accept forced removal from their homeland. "The people who have withstood the most brutal military assaults for 15 months, facing the world’s most lethal army, will not surrender," he said. "No matter the cost, they will remain steadfast on their land."

Palestinian UN envoy Riyad Mansour reaffirmed Palestinians’ commitment to their homeland, rejecting any suggestion of relocation and indirectly pushing back against US President Donald Trump’s proposal.

"Our homeland is our homeland. If part of it is destroyed—the Gaza Strip—the Palestinian people selected the choice to return to it," Mansour stated.

Speaking at the United Nations, he did not directly name Trump but made clear his opposition to the proposal, emphasizing, "Our country and our home is the Gaza Strip, it’s part of Palestine. We have no home. For those who want to send them to a happy, nice place, let them go back to their original homes inside Israel. There are nice places there, and they will be happy to return to these places."

  • Donald Trump
  • United States
  • Palestine
  • Gaza
  • Gaza Strip
  • Egypt
  • Jordan
  • Israel
  • Benjamin Netanyahu

Most Read

Tom Artiom Alexandrovich, executive director of the defense division of the Israeli National Cyber Directorate, undated (Social media)

Israeli-born US prosecutor drops Israeli officer child sex crime

  • Politics
  • 19 Aug 2025
Displaced Palestinians walk through a makeshift camp along the beach in Gaza City, Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025 (AP)

Hamas, other factions accept Egypt-Qatar ceasefire proposal: Exclusive

  • Politics
  • 18 Aug 2025
Palestine will not be liberated by UN reports, but by pursuing a different strategic horizon: one that does not beg for recognition. (Al Mayadeen English; Illustrated by Batoul Chamas)

Economy of Genocide: Albanese's report accuses, but doesn't dismantle system

  • Opinion
  • 18 Aug 2025
Israeli soldiers stand on the top of armoured vehicles parked on an area near the Israeli-Gaza border, as seen from southern Israel, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025 (AP)

Palestinian fighters target Israeli soldiers, vehicles in Gaza

  • Politics
  • 21 Aug 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a press conference at the Prime minister's office in al-Quds, Occupied Palestine, Sunday, Aug. 10, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Netanyahu deliberately derailing truce with Gaza occupation: Hamas

Irish President Michael Higgins arrives to deliver his speech during a 42nd World Food Day celebration at FAO headquarters in Rome, on Oct. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Politics

Irish president renews call for UN military intervention in Gaza

US Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack speaks during an interview with The Associated Press at the US Embassy in Aukar, northern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, July 21, 2025 (AP)
Politics

US envoy, Netanyahu discuss restraining attacks on Lebanon, withdrawal

Smoke billows following Israeli airstrikes in multiple areas in Sanaa, Yemen, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Ansar Allah vow sustained Gaza support despite Israeli strikes

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS