US President Donald Trump has again proposed a permanent resettlement of Palestinians from war-shattered Gaza to neighboring countries, calling the enclave a “demolition site” while receiving Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Trump repeated his call for Jordan, Egypt and other Arab states to take in Gazans, saying Palestinians there had no alternative but to abandon the coastal strip, which must be rebuilt after nearly 16 months of a devastating war between Israel and Hamas militants.
But this time Trump said he would support resettling Palestinians “permanently,” going beyond his previous suggestions that Arab leaders had already steadfastly rejected.
Just two weeks into his second term, Trump was hosting Netanyahu at the White House to discuss the future of the fragile Gaza ceasefire, strategies to counter Iran and hopes for a renewed push for an Israeli-Saudi normalization deal.
“It’s a pure demolition site,” Trump, speaking shortly before Netanyahu arrived, said of Gaza.
“If we could find the right piece of land, or numerous pieces of land, and build them some really nice places with plenty of money in the area, that’s for sure. I think that would be a lot better than going back to Gaza.”
“I don’t know how they (Palestinians) could want to stay,” Trump said when asked about the reaction of Palestinian and Arab leaders to his proposal.
Reported by BBC
