US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have unveiled a controversial vision for Gaza’s future during a joint press conference at the White House, with Trump proposing an American-led redevelopment of the war-ravaged territory.
Donald Trump floated the idea of the United States “taking over” Gaza to remove unexploded ordnance and spearhead economic reconstruction, aiming to transform the Palestinian enclave into what he described as “the Riviera of the Middle East”, reports the BBC.
The US president further suggested that Palestinians could be temporarily resettled elsewhere while the reconstruction takes place—an idea that has been widely rejected by Middle Eastern nations in the past.
Netanyahu, the first foreign leader to visit Washington since Trump’s re-election, responded positively, stating that the proposal was “worth paying attention to.”
Beyond the Gaza discussion, Trump reiterated his hardline stance on Iran, declaring that Tehran “cannot have a nuclear weapon” and warning that any attempt to develop atomic bombs would be “unfortunate.”
Netanyahu, a staunch ally of Trump since his first term, praised the US president, calling him “the greatest friend Israel has ever had.”
Their close relationship was cemented during Trump’s first presidency, notably when he relocated the American embassy to Jerusalem—an act condemned by Palestinian leadership as a blatant disregard for their territorial claims.
The proposals laid out at the White House are expected to spark intense diplomatic debate, with critics questioning the feasibility of resettling Palestinians and the implications of a US-driven intervention in Gaza’s reconstruction.
