# Potential American ownership of the Gaza Strip

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On 4 February 2025, U.S. president Donald Trump declared his intent for the United States to take ownership of the Gaza Strip. The proposal was made during a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas-led Palestinian militants. Trump expressed his vision to re-develop the territory into the "Riviera of the Middle East". The plan would require the removal of approximately 2 million Palestinians to neighboring lands. It would also require the removal of over 50 million tonnes of debris and unexploded ordnance. When asked how the territory will be acquired, Trump claimed the U.S. will "take it". The proposal has received negative reception from several nations and organizations, contrasting with strong support from Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Trump's proposal for Gaza is against international law; the forcible transfer of populations is prohibited. Members of Trump’s administration have walked back on elements of the plan on a few occasions, although in one subsequent statement, Trump held firm to his original plan. On 21 February 2025, after opposition from Arab states, Trump said he would "recommend" but not enforce his plan for the American takeover of Gaza and the re-settlement of the Palestinian population. Arab League leaders met in March to create a counter proposal to Trump’s plan, which was rejected by the U.S. and Israel due concerns about the proposed governance of postwar Gaza and other issues. The White House released a statement that Trump stood by his vision of Gaza without Hamas and welcomed additional talks. On 12 March 2025, Arab foreign ministers confirmed continued consultations on Egypt’s plan with the U.S. special envoy and Trump said that "nobody is expelling any Palestinians" from Gaza.

## Background

The Gaza Strip, now a part of the State of Palestine, has previously been under Ottoman, British, and Egyptian control. Israel has occupied Gaza since 1967. In 1993, the Palestinian Authority controlled the region. In 2005, Israel disengaged from the Gaza Strip, the same year the militant group Hamas won parliamentary elections in the region. Decades-long U.S. diplomacy on Israel and the Palestinians have not produced successful resolutions in the conflict.
The Gaza Strip has seen a major scale of destruction since the beginning of the Gaza war in October 2023. Civilians who were internally displaced have been able to return to their homes since the ceasefire which began on January 15, 2025. The cost of rebuilding Gaza has been estimated to be in the tens of billions of dollars. Calls to displace Palestinians from Gaza mirror demands made by those in the Israeli far-right who have often called for ethnically cleansing Palestinian land to open it up to foreign settlement.

## Proposal

On 4 February 2025, Trump stated in a joint press conference with Netanyahu that the United States will "take over" and "own" the Gaza Strip, levelling and reconstructing the territory which will provide "unlimited amounts of jobs and housing for the people of the area". The plan would involve clearing rubble, dismantling weaponry and removing unexploded ordnance, which the U.S. would be responsible for. BBC reported that the amount of debris was over 50 million tonnes and that clearing the debris could take up to 21 years. Regarding the question of Palestinians inhabiting the territory and being currently displaced from it due to war, Trump stated that Gaza would instead be inhabited by "the world's people", whereas the Palestinians would be relocated to an unspecified "beautiful area", and will not be permitted to return to Gaza. Trump said that Gazans would be relocated to six "safe communities" a "little bit away" from Gaza.
On 5 February, members of Trump’s administration walked back on the permanent resettlement rhetoric, contradicting Trump’s comments the day before. Marco Rubio and Karoline Leavitt said the idea was to relocate Gazans for a temporary period of clearing rubble and rebuilding. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said that he would support Trump’s plan to have the Gazans return. On 9 February, Trump said that the US would buy Gaza and that it might be given to other Middle Eastern states to rebuild. On 10 February, Trump said the Gazans would not be allowed to return. On 11 February, he said that the US was not buying anything and would just "have" and "keep" Gaza. UN officials said that Trump's plan would essentially involve the ethnic cleansing of Gaza. The Hill reported that Trump was sending "mixed messages" about the fate of the Gazans and that he was not being clear about the long-term plan of displacement. Mike Waltz, national security adviser to Trump, suggested that Trump’s proposal was an initial invitation to other regional players to bring solutions to the table. Marco Rubio similarly said that it was time for other regional powers to "step forward" and that "If the Arab countries have a better plan, then that’s great." Trump has requested that Arab governments like Egypt and Jordan take in the displaced Palestinian populations. Abdullah II of Jordan, meeting with Mahmoud Abbas prior, entered into talks with Trump about the plan but did not directly agree with or contradict the president, suggesting instead that Egypt would propose an alternative plan. It is reported that Trump's plan is based on a paper drawn up by economics professor Joseph Pelzman.
On 21 February 2025, after opposition from Arab states, Trump said he would "recommend" but not enforce his plan for the US takeover of Gaza and the resettlement of the Palestinian population. On 12 March 2025, Trump said that "nobody is expelling any Palestinians" from Gaza, which signaled a change from his previous stance.
According to "three sources familiar with the effort", Israel and the United States were interested in resettling Gazans to Syria (under a new Islamist government), Sudan or separatist Somaliland.

### AI-generated video

A video posted on social media by Donald Trump on 26 February 2025 about the proposal has drawn criticism from Arabs and Muslims in the U.S. and abroad. The AI-generated video depicts Gaza transformed into a luxury resort called "Trump Gaza," featuring Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sunbathing, children emerging from rubble into an upscale setting, and a golden statue of Trump. It also includes scenes of bearded men dancing in bikinis, Trump enjoying a belly dancer, and a figure resembling Elon Musk being showered with cash. The video also received criticism from Republicans and conservatives on Truth Social, as well as on Instagram. The video was not created by Trump; NBC News reported that the video was first posted on 7 February by a pro-Israel X account. Later, the actual creators of the video came out saying they did not know how Trump obtained the video and criticized Trump for posting the video without credit or permission. They described it as being created as satire and a joke, not a political statement, and they did not support Trump’s "propaganda machine."
The Economist suggested that the video typifies a new form of political communication, where "knowingly absurd" AI-generated content conveys controversial ideas under the plausible deniability of humor.

## Analysis

Quincy Institute's political scientist Annelle Sheline has argued that Trump's plan for Gaza would not only constitute ethnic cleansing, but would also destabilise the Middle East, since the displacement of Palestinians into Jordan would provoke a period of social upheaval that could topple the Jordanian monarchy and create an entirely new state in the region. Anelle argued that if such an event were to take place, the Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood could seize control of the country. This view has been supported by Paul Piller (fellow at the Quincy Institute) who argued that the displacement of Palestinians into Jordan would effectively end the Jordanian-Israeli peace agreement of 1994 and risk the overthrow of the Jordanian monarchy. Oraib Rantawi, head of the Amman Al Quds Center for Political Studies, said the plan would affect Jordan’s demography, identity, and security. Egyptian officials warned that the inflow of hundreds of thousands of Hamas militants into the Sinai border resulting from the plan would destabilize the region and put Egypt’s peace agreement with Israel in jeopardy.
Also at the Quincy Institute, Rabwan Ahari has argued that Trump's proposal signals a clear and substantial departure from America having "even the pretense of supporting a two-state solution." They further argued that this plan amounted to a statement that Palestinian displacement was the goal of US policy surrounding the region.
Legal experts such as Janina Dill (co-director of the Oxford Institute for Ethics, Law and Armed Conflict) have weighed in on Trump's rationale, saying that the argument that it would benefit the people living in a territory is no justification (legal or otherwise) for seizing it by force. The Brookings Institute's Natan Sachs reiterates this point and adds that the proposal would be incredibly difficult and expensive to pull off, as well as risking "the implementation of the second phase of the ceasefire-hostage deal."
In Haaretz, Dahlia Scheindlin described the alleged plans as "bereft of logic or fact", and analysed the ways in which the far-right in Israel (and elsewhere) had seized on the plan, criticizing the "fuzzy, fake math" being used to suggest that Palestinians would support Trump's move. CNN's Stephen Collinson wrote that the plan would also be unpopular at home in the US, given that, in his words, Trump "partly owes his rise to a political base wearied by sending its sons and daughters to war in the post-9/11 era." fr:Dominique Vidal, a French expert on the Middle East, compared this proposal to the Madagascar Plan, a prelude to the Final Solution.
Al Jazeera said that Trump does not have the ability to carry out his plan whether legally, militarily, or diplomatically. Reuters said that it was not clear if Trump would move forward with the plan or if the proposal was an extreme negotiation tactic. Critics have said his first term was full of exaggerated foreign policy announcements, of which many were never implemented. Trump has said repeatedly that he wanted to end "ridiculous" wars and prevent the start of new ones. Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, a Gazan analyst and Atlantic Council fellow, said that Trump’s vision could not believably be considered an option and that it was transparently impossible. He wrote that Trump may be trying to pressure Arab nations into action through threatening to take over the Strip and communicating that he would become involved if there was not Arab initiative, including finance from Gulf nations. Alkhatib added that regardless of Trump’s intentions, his statements have been damaging and have further contributed to the perception of the unhelpfulness of the United States.

## Arab counter-proposal

On 21 February, the Arab leaders of Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Bahrain met in Saudi Arabia to discuss the future of Gaza. Their goal was to be a "united front" and provide an alternative to Trump’s plan. Ibrahim Dalalsha, director of a political research group in West Bank, said the process would be complex and that the greatest obstacle for the Arab leaders is to introduce a plan that is realistic and can be enforced on the Palestinian factions, while at the same time being a plan that the U.S. and Israel could accept. Arab leaders planned to meet for a broader summit on 4 March in Cairo to find a plan for Gaza before their diplomats travel to Washington D.C. "within weeks" to meet with President Trump to present their counter plan.

### March summit and Egyptian proposal

On 4 March, at the Extraordinary Arab Summit in Cairo on Developments in the Palestinian Issue, Arab leaders adopted a $53 billion plan proposed by Egypt that did not involve displacing Palestinians from the Strip. The plan was to create an interim committee of "independent, professional Palestinian technocrats" to govern Gaza to prepare for the Palestinian Authority’s return. Hamas said that it would not bring its own candidates to the proposed governing committee but that it would need to give its permission in regards to the committee’s tasks, members and agenda. Mahmoud Abbas said that he would be prepared to hold elections, which Hamas welcomed. The summit released an AI-enhanced presentation showing modern housing developments, as well as blueprints for resorts and attractions. The plan was to seek international funding. The plan outlines a six-month phase of recovery providing temporary housing for 1.5 million displaced Palestinians within seven sites in Gaza, followed by a two-stage reconstruction program: a two-year first stage of $20 billion and a 2.5 year second stage of $30 billion. The New York Times reported the funding for the plan remains unclear as Gulf states will be reluctant to invest in rebuilding Gaza only to see it destroyed again if violence returns.
The Israeli foreign ministry said the plan had "outdated" outlooks and rejected the plan’s dependence on the Palestinian Authority, adding that Hamas would be given power by the plan. When asked if Trump supported the Arab leaders' plan, a White House spokesman said that the current Arab plan does not address that Gaza is "currently uninhabitable" for Palestinians to live in to due to the amount of debris and unexploded ordnance, adding that "President Trump stands by his vision to rebuild Gaza free from Hamas. We look forward to further talks to bring peace and prosperity to the region." The US special envoy Steve Witkoff said the plan had "compelling features", was a good first step, and they needed additional discussions. The plan was also endorsed by the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and several European countries. On 12 March, Arab foreign ministers confirmed continuous consultations on Egypt’s plan with the U.S. special envoy.

## Reactions
### Middle East

* Palestine: Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas stated "We will not allow the rights of our people [...] to be infringed on" and affirmed that Gaza is "an integral part of the State of Palestine." Palestinian foreign minister Varsen Aghabekian reiterated the Palestinian Authority's de jure authority over the Gaza Strip, rejected the plan as "unacceptable", and called on other Western countries to do the same.
* Hamas: Hamas condemned Trump's plan and warned that such a plan would "put oil on the fire in the region".
* Houthis: Yemeni Houthi authorities released a statement saying that the plan represented "American arrogance" that will subsume all if it is met with "submission from the Arabs".
* Iran: Iran stated that "Iran does not agree with any displacement of Palestinians and has communicated this through various channels"
* Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia rejected the plan and said that it would "continue its relentless efforts to establish an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without that".
* Israel: Trump's plan was met with support in Israel with prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying that he was committed to the realization of the plan, rejecting the Palestinian Authority's or Hamas' governance of Gaza. Trump's proposal to resettle Palestinians from Gaza was supported by Netanyahu, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid, and the majority of the Israeli public.
* Jordan: King Abdullah II of Jordan rejected President Trump's proposal for Jordan to absorb Palestinians living in Gaza. There are already more than 2 million Palestinian refugees in Jordan who fled due to the Arab–Israeli wars.
* Egypt: Egypt rejected American plans to annex Gaza and did not agree to take into Egypt displaced Palestinians. Instead, the Egyptian government responded by proposing a counter-offer of Egypt-led reconstruction of the strip. Egypt also signalled that the ethnic cleansing of Gaza would lead to the end of the Egypt–Israel peace treaty.
* Syria: Syrian president Ahmed al-Sharaa criticized Trump's plan, calling it a "serious crime that will ultimately fail." In an interview with The Rest Is Politics, al-Sharaa claimed that "no power can drive people from their land" and that "over 80 years of this conflict, all attempts to displace [Palestinians] have failed; those who left have regretted their decision. The Palestinian lesson that every generation has learned is the importance of holding on to their land."
* Turkey: Turkish president Erdogan rejected Trump's plan, highlighting that it would be a major threat to world peace. Hakan Fidan, the Turkish foreign minister called the plans unacceptable.
* United Arab Emirates: Emirati ambassador to the U.S. Yousef Al-Otaiba stated that he sees "no other alternatives" to Trump's proposal.

### North America

* United States: U.S. president Donald Trump declared his intent to take over Gaza, remove its Palestinian inhabitants, and re-develop it into the "Riviera of the Middle East," although members of Trump’s administration have walked back on elements of the plan.
** The US's takeover of the Gaza Strip was supported by less than 25% of Americans, with 62% expressing opposition.
** U.S. Senator Rand Paul wrote, "We have no business contemplating yet another occupation to doom our treasure and spill our soldiers' blood."

### Asia

* China: China rejected the American proposal and highlighted that "China has always believed that Palestinian rule is the basic principle of post-war governance in Gaza".
* North Korea: North Korea condemned the plan, stating that the plan amounted to "slaughter and robbery" and argued that the plan was evidence of America's "hegemonic, invasive ambition for world dominance".

### Europe

* Germany: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that "Any resettlement plans, the idea that the citizens of Gaza will be expelled from there to Egypt or Jordan, is unacceptable."
* Russia: Russia's foreign ministry said that Trump's remarks were "shocking" and would add to tensions in the region. A Kremlin spokesperson said that the Kremlin was waiting for more details on the plan.

### International organisations

* United Nations: UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said Gaza was an integral part of a future Palestinian state.
* International Coordination of Revolutionary Parties and Organizations: The ICOR released a statement condemning Trump's Gaza plan saying that it would be tantamount to a new Nakba.