Donald Trump has shocked the world by proposing the US take over the Gaza Strip and Greenland.
The President of the United States has outlined a proposal to build new settlements for Palestinians outside the territory and for the US to take “ownership” in turning it into “the Riviera of the Middle East”.
Egypt, Jordan and other US allies in the Middle East rejected the idea to relocate more than two million Palestinians from Gaza elsewhere in the region.
Hamas, which sparked the war in Gaza with its attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, said Trump’s proposal was a “recipe for creating chaos and tension in the region”.
Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, praised Mr Trump for thinking outside the box, adding: “You say things others refuse to say. And after the jaws drop, people scratch their heads and they say, ‘You know he’s right’.”
Mr Trump said in a social media post on Thursday that Israel would turn Gaza over to the US after the war and no American soldiers would be needed for his plan to redevelop it.
Mr Trump’s political opponents criticised the idea. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy said: “He wants a US invasion of Gaza, which would cost thousands of American lives and set the Middle East on fire for 20 years? It’s sick.”
British Palestinians have said they feel “disgusted” at President Trump’s suggestion. Ghassan Ghaben, 34, a campaigner from Gaza living in Manchester, described the proposal as “dehumanising”.
He said: “If Donald Trump really cares about the Palestinians that much, he should be calling for the return of refugees from Gaza to their homes.”
The Gaza proposal comes after Mr Trump made waves by suggesting the US should buy Greenland, annex Canada and take over the Panama Canal, which he claims is controlled by China.
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