Donald Trump has unveiled his plans to 'own' the Gaza strip, claiming it would bring 'stability' to the Middle East.
In just 15 days, Trump has renamed the Gulf of Mexico, revealed plans to buy Greenland, reclaim the Panama Canal, urged Canada to be the 51st state of America, and now he has shown intent to 'take over' Gaza and kick out all Palestinians.
It's been a busy couple of weeks in office, to say the least.
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What has Trump said about the Gaza strip?
Speaking during a press conference at the White House on Tuesday (February 4), where he was joined by the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, he said: "The only reason the Palestinians want to go back to Gaza is they have no alternative, it’s right now a demolition site. This is just a demolition site. Virtually every building is down."
Setting out his plans for 'peace and harmony', he explained how he would resettle all the Palestinians living there.
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"The US 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," he added.
"If it’s necessary, we’ll do that, we’re going to take over that piece, we’re going to develop it, create thousands and thousands of jobs, and it’ll be something that the entire Middle East can be very proud of."
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So where would the two million Palestinians living in Gaza move to?
Well, the 78-year-old has proposed Egypt, Jordan and other Arab states welcome them into their countries.
Trump doesn't rule out US military action
Asked how he planned to resettle those that call the war-torn strip home, and whether he would send US troops to help do so, he replied: "As far as Gaza is concerned, we’ll do what is necessary. If it’s necessary, we’ll do that.”
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He continued: "I do see a long-term ownership position and I see it bringing great stability to that part of the Middle East and maybe the entire Middle East.
"Everybody I’ve spoken to loves the idea of the United States owning that piece of land.
"I’ve studied this very closely over a lot of months."
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Trump did not reveal under what authority he would be able to carry out his plans.
Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, reinforced Trump's intention on Twitter, writing: "The United States stands ready to lead and Make Gaza Beautiful Again. Our pursuit is one of lasting peace in the region for all people.”
'Ethnic cleansing by another name'
The move has been met with widespread criticism by human rights advocates as several likened it to 'ethnic cleansing by another name'.
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Chris Van Hollen, Democratic senator for Maryland, said: “Trump’s proposal to push 2 million Palestinians out of Gaza and take ‘ownership’ by force, if necessary, is simply ethnic cleansing by another name.
“This declaration will give ammunition to Iran and other adversaries while undermining our Arab partners in the region. It defies decades of bipartisan American support for a two-state solution... Congress must stand up to this dangerous and reckless scheme.”
Meanwhile, in a statement The Council on American Islamic Relations, a Muslim advocacy group, said: “Gaza belongs to the Palestinian people, not the United States, and President Trump’s call to expel Palestinians from their land is an absolute non-starter.
“If the Palestinian people were ever somehow forcibly expelled from Gaza, this crime against humanity would spark widespread conflict, put the final nail in the coffin of international law, and destroy what remains of our nation’s international image and standing.”
Topics: Politics, Israel, Donald Trump
Joe Yates