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Donald Trump Says U.S. Will ‘Take Over and Own’ Gaza Strip

Donald Trump announced that the U.S. would “take over and own” Gaza, oversee cleanup efforts, and push for economic development while discussing Hamas elimination and a two-state solution with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu.

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Donald Trump Says U.S. Will ‘Take Over and Own’ Gaza Strip

On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump said that the United States “would take over and own” the Gaza Strip and said that his government would focus on removing the unexploded bombs and rebuilding the war-torn region. He said this during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the White House. It was his first meeting with a foreign leader after returning to office.

“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 unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site,” Trump said, according to the Associated Press.

He added that he would clear out the area. The U.S. would begin focusing on its economic development. His statements express a possible evolution of U.S. engagement within the Israel-Palestine conflict, whereby they will be involved with the stabilization process.

Donald Trump Meets Netanyahu To Discuss Hamas Overthrow

The main discussion during the closed-door meeting between Trump and Netanyahu was how to ensure that Hamas is defeated and their region becomes peaceful once again. During the meeting, the leaders discussed strategic measures to deal with the militant group in order not to escalate violence any further.

The joint press conference began with Trump chastising his predecessor Joe Biden, saying, “Nobody did anything for four years in the Middle East except demonstrate incompetence.”

Bloomberg reported that Trump dismissed concerns that Egypt and Jordan would refuse to accept displaced Palestinians from Gaza. “They say they’re not going to accept – I say they will,” he said.

Egypt and Jordan have repeatedly opposed any forced displacement of Palestinians, arguing that such actions would destabilize the region. However, Trump’s assertion suggests that he anticipates cooperation from these neighboring nations.

Trump Reconsiders Independent Palestine

Surprisingly, Trump went as far as to suggest considering an independent Palestinian state as part of a general two-state solution. When questioned about whether he still supported the 2020 plan for an independent Palestinian state, he quipped, “Well, a lot of plans change with time.”

“A lot of death has occurred since I left and now came back. Now we are faced with a different situation — in some ways better and in some ways worse. But we are faced with a very complex and difficult situation that we’ll solve,” Trump added.

His words will indicate a policy shift by America towards the centuries-old Israel-Palestine conflict, hence flexibility in how to handle this crisis, changing with time.