Hamas has rejected President Trump’s proposal to have the United States take control of Gaza and relocate Palestinians.
The group denounced the plan as “racist” and an attempt to eliminate the Palestinian cause. The proposal also faced strong opposition from Palestinian leaders and several Middle Eastern nations, including Egypt and Jordan.
Trump made this announcement during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, causing audible gasps among those present.
In his proposal, Trump did not elaborate on how he would manage the movement of over two million Palestinians or control Gaza, but claimed that the United States would rebuild the war-torn region, removing unexploded bombs and rubble, and driving economic redevelopment. He said, “The US will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it, too. We’ll own it.”
Trump added that there was support for this plan from “the highest leadership” in the Middle East, and he pressed Egypt and Jordan to accept the Gazans, despite both countries rejecting the idea.
He suggested that under US control, Gaza could become “the Riviera of the Middle East,” a vision he called “magnificent.”
Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007, rejected the proposal, calling it “racist” and accusing the US of aligning with Israel’s extreme right to “displace our people and eliminate our cause.”
Hamas spokesman Abdel Latif al-Qanou condemned the idea as an attempt to erase the Palestinian issue.
Much of Gaza was destroyed in a 15-month conflict that began with Hamas’s attack on Israel in October 2023, which led to the deaths of over 1,200 people, mainly civilians.
Trump has claimed credit for securing a ceasefire agreement last month. Netanyahu, who has vowed to bring hostages back and defeat Hamas, expressed support for Trump’s plan, calling it potentially “history-changing.”
However, Trump’s proposal quickly overshadowed the official discussions. He suggested that Gaza should not be rebuilt for Palestinians, stating that it had “been a miserable existence” for them, implying they should not return.
Palestinian representatives at the United Nations rejected the plan, with Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian envoy, asserting that “our homeland is our homeland.”
Palestinians in Gaza also rejected Trump’s resettlement idea, with 34-year-old resident Hatem Azzam from Rafah saying, “Trump thinks Gaza is a pile of garbage—absolutely not.”
Trump’s plan, though vague on implementation, hinted at potential US military involvement in Gaza, if necessary. Netanyahu, standing beside Trump, hailed him as Israel’s “greatest friend” and praised his innovative thinking.
However, Trump’s plan is set to face fierce opposition from Palestinians, as well as from countries in the Middle East, including Egypt, Jordan, and Qatar, all of whom rejected the idea of resettling Palestinians from Gaza.
The Gaza conflict began with Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023, taking 251 hostages, 76 of whom remain in Gaza, with many killed in the violence. Israel’s retaliatory actions have resulted in over 47,500 deaths in Gaza, most of them civilians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. The United Nations has deemed these figures reliable.
