Hamas, the group that initiated the Gaza conflict, has denounced President Donald Trump’s proposal for the U.S. to rebuild Gaza as a plan that would destabilize the region.
This statement follows Trump’s announcement that the U.S. would assume control of the Gaza Strip, raze it, and then rebuild it.
“Instead of holding the Israeli occupation accountable for the atrocities and displacement, it is being rewarded,” Hamas stated to the Associated Press on Wednesday.
Hamas’ October 7th attack on Israel prompted the Israeli military’s intervention in Gaza, leaving much of the territory uninhabitable and displacing an estimated 1.9 million people—approximately 90% of Gaza’s population.
Hamas reiterated to the AP that Trump’s plan is a “recipe for creating chaos and tension in the region.”
A senior Hamas official also told the AP on Wednesday that Trump’s stated intention to forcibly remove Gaza’s residents and place the Strip under U.S. control constitutes a crime against humanity.
“We demand that the mediators, particularly the United States, compel the occupation to fully implement the ceasefire agreement in all three phases without delay or manipulation. We are committed to upholding the agreement as long as the occupation does the same, and any manipulation could jeopardize it,” the official added.
Trump announced at a White House press conference on Tuesday that “The U.S. 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, unexplored bombs and other weapons on the site,” he continued.
“Level the site and get rid of the destroyed buildings, level it out, create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area,” Trump also said. “Do a real job. Do something different. Just can’t go back. If you go back, it’s going to end up the same way it has for 100 years.”
’s Chief Foreign Correspondent Trey Yingst noted that Trump’s announcement “raises huge questions about the current ceasefire agreement that is supposed to see the remaining hostages released from Gaza.”
“There are dozens of living hostages inside the Gaza Strip right now being held by Hamas, the group that is currently in control of Gaza. And it would not be surprising if tomorrow, Hamas threatens to step back from the current agreement or puts more pressure at the negotiating table,” Yingst said in a
“But the timing of these remarks is very significant remembering that these hostages remain in Hamas captivity and Palestinians being removed from Gaza has been a red line not only for Hamas but for regional countries including Egypt, Jordan and others as it relates to the Palestinian people there,” he added.
’ Trey Yingst and Emma Colton contributed to this report.