During a Sunday press briefing aboard Air Force One en route to New Orleans, President Trump reiterated his intention to acquire Gaza, suggesting that Middle Eastern nations might participate in rebuilding parts of the war-torn region.
“My commitment is to purchase and own Gaza,” Trump stated. “Regarding reconstruction, we might delegate sections to other Middle Eastern states, or others might undertake it under our supervision. But our commitment remains to owning it, securing it, and preventing Hamas’s return.”
“There’s nothing to return to. It’s a demolished site. The remaining structures will be demolished. Everything is leveled,” he added.
He also expressed openness to accepting Palestinian refugees on a case-by-case basis.
Trump previously stated at a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu his desire for the U.S. to assume control of Gaza following the resettlement of Palestinians elsewhere.
“The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we’ll manage it effectively,” Trump said at that time. “We’ll own it and be responsible for removing all dangerous, unexploded ordnance and weapons from the site.”
“We’ll level the site, remove the destroyed buildings, create economic development that will provide countless jobs and housing for the area’s residents,” he continued. “We’ll do a proper job. We’ll do something different. We can’t go back. If we do, it will end up the same as it has for 100 years.”
Several nations have criticized Trump’s proposal to take over Gaza, following the Israeli military’s bombardment during the conflict triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
Trump also indicated his preference for Jordan, Egypt, and other Arab nations to absorb more Palestinian refugees from Gaza, potentially facilitating the area’s clearance.
“We’re talking about perhaps a million and a half people, and we just clear the entire area and say, ‘It’s over,’” he said previously.
During the recent Israel-Hamas war, now concluded with a ceasefire, Palestinians feared another “Nakba,” (Arabic for catastrophe), referencing the displacement and dispossession of hundreds of thousands during the 1948 war surrounding Israel’s founding.
Earlier Sunday, Israeli President Isaac Herzog told Maria Bartiromo that Trump was scheduled to meet with Jordan’s King Abdullah II, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and possibly Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, regarding this plan.
“President Trump is to meet with major Arab leaders, primarily the King of Jordan and the President of Egypt, and I believe the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia as well,” Herzog noted.
“These are partners who must be heard, consulted. We must respect their views and collaboratively build a sustainable plan for the future,” he added.
Saudi Arabia is among several countries rejecting Trump’s Gaza takeover plan. King Abdullah II reportedly intends to inform Trump during their Tuesday meeting that the proposal is a recipe for regional instability and jeopardizes Jordan’s peace with Israel.
Reuters contributed to this report.