By Kevin Liptak | CNN
(CNN) — President Donald Trump mentioned Tuesday that the US “will take over” the Gaza Strip, after saying earlier that he doesn’t suppose there’s a everlasting future for Palestinians in Gaza.
“The US will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it too,” Trump mentioned throughout a joint press convention alongside his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu. “We’ll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site, level the site and get rid of the destroyed buildings.”
Requested whether or not he was prepared to ship US troops to fill a safety vacuum in Gaza, Trump didn’t rule it out.
“As far as Gaza is concerned, we’ll do what is necessary. If it’s necessary, we’ll do that. We’re going to take over that piece that we’re going to develop it,” he mentioned.
Trump’s feedback are a outstanding assertion from a sitting American president, notably one who rose to political energy in the USA by way of his criticism of America’s longest wars within the Center East.
“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,” Trump advised reporters within the East Room.
“This was not a decision made lightly. Everybody I’ve spoken to loves the idea of the United States owning that piece of land, developing and creating thousands of jobs with something that will be magnificent.”
Trump, a former actual property developer, mentioned he had studied the matter “closely, over a lot of months.”
Talking earlier Tuesday, Trump advised Gazans transfer to a brand new location supplied by a number of nations within the Center East.
“I mean they’re there because they have no alternative. What do they have? It is a big pile of rubble right now,” Trump mentioned moments earlier than internet hosting Netanyahu for Oval Workplace talks.
Trump’s suggestion that Gazans go away the strip completely quantities to a provocative stance that may endear him to Israel’s most conservative politicians however is usually a non-starter for Israel’s neighbors, who’ve mentioned they’re unwilling to just accept new Palestinian refugees from the enclave.
On Tuesday, Trump framed the matter as a humanitarian one, saying it was inconceivable to consider anybody would need to stay within the war-torn territory.
“Why would they want to return? The place has been hell,” Trump mentioned, ignoring a reporter who cried out: “Because it’s their home.”
As an alternative of Gaza, he advised the Palestinians be supplied a “good, fresh, beautiful piece of land” to dwell.
However below repeated questioning, Trump made clear he didn’t see a world by which Palestinians ever return to Gaza.
“I don’t think people should be going back to Gaza. I think Gaza has been very unlucky for them.” He mentioned, “Gaza is not a place for people to be living.”
Netanyahu, sitting alongside Trump within the Oval Workplace, smiled as Trump was talking. The Israeli chief, below conflicting pressures domestically, was in Washington to establish precisely the place Trump stands on the following section of a ceasefire in Gaza.
However Trump’s dim views of Gaza as a everlasting residence for Palestinians was sure to offer grist for far-right allies of the Israeli chief, who’ve known as on Netanyahu to desert the momentary truce that was struck final month.
Netanyahu’s go to was anticipated to final a number of hours and embody a joint press convention, all meant to display Trump’s solidarity with Israel.
The comity between the boys might belie a relationship that’s extra difficult than it generally seems – with nothing lower than the way forward for the Center East doubtlessly using on Trump’s phrases.
Trump has claimed credit score for the hostages-for-ceasefire settlement struck within the days earlier than he entered workplace – and even officers within the outgoing Biden administration acknowledged Trump’s imminent arrival helped apply stress on Israel and Hamas.
Netanyahu, maybe looking for to ingratiate himself to his host, praised Trump’s efforts.
“I think President Trump added great force and powerful leadership to this effort,” Netanyahu mentioned within the Oval Workplace.
However for all of his prodding to get the deal inked, Trump will nonetheless must oversee the remaining two phases of the three-phase plan. He didn’t sound notably assured a day earlier than assembly Netanyahu.
“I have no assurances that it’ll hold,” he mentioned within the Oval Workplace, the place he’d summoned reporters to look at him signal some papers. “And I’ve seen people brutalized. I’ve never – nobody’s ever seen anything like it.”
He sounded barely extra optimistic a day later.
“We’ll see what happens. We’re dealing with very complicated people, but a deal can absolutely get done,” he mentioned alongside Netanyahu on Tuesday.
There’s loads for Trump and Netanyahu to debate past the instant matter of the ceasefire settlement. There’s the query of Gaza itself, which Trump has beforehand mentioned must be cleared out for rebuilding, with the Palestinians who dwell there moved to Egypt and Jordan (a subject of debate more likely to proceed when Jordan’s King Abdullah visits the White Home subsequent week).
“I would like to see Jordan, I’d like to see Egypt take some,” Trump mentioned once more Tuesday, simply earlier than Netanyahu arrived. “Look, the Gaza thing has not worked. It’s never worked.”
After which there’s the prospect of a broader normalization of relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors, principally Saudi Arabia, that former President Joe Biden had been pursuing earlier than the October 7, 2023, assaults. Trump, who brazenly pines for a Nobel Peace Prize, may even see his alternative in such a pursuit, which might rework your complete Center East and create a brand new bulwark in opposition to Iran, a typical foe to Jerusalem and Riyadh.
Whether or not Netanyahu is fascinated about diplomacy – or whether or not he as a substitute sees Trump’s arrival in Washington as a second to take decisive motion in opposition to Iran, doubtlessly even taking out its nuclear program – stays to be seen.
There may be already hypothesis Netanyahu might use the talks to take Trump’s temperature on a direct strike, seizing a second when Iranian proxies have been decimated, Iran’s nuclear ambitions look like accelerating and whereas he has friendlier ties to Washington.
For his half, Trump has not sounded notably obsessed with beginning a brand new battle with Iran.
“Hopefully that can be worked out without having to worry about it. It would really be nice if that could be worked out without having to go that further step,” he mentioned final month when requested a couple of strike on Iranian amenities.
A sophisticated relationship
By the tip of Biden’s time period, relations had been so strained between the American and Israeli leaders that they went months with out talking, regardless of the continuing warfare in Gaza and intensive efforts by Biden’s aides to dealer a cease-fire.
Within the lead-up to final November’s election, there was little query amongst Biden’s crew that Netanyahu favored a Trump victory, believing he would get pleasure from a far wider remit from the American authorities to prosecute his warfare goals with Trump in workplace as a substitute of then-Vice President Kamala Harris.
These predictions haven’t been fallacious.
Already, Trump has lifted a maintain on heavy bomb deliveries to Israel, rolling again one of many few Biden-era insurance policies meant to exert leverage on Israel amid its warfare in Gaza.
He might go even additional this week. Netanyahu and his delegation plan to press Trump’s administration to maneuver ahead with billions of {dollars} in pending arms gross sales, together with hundreds of recent bombs, missiles, artillery and different weapons, throughout this week’s go to.
Whereas among the objects might take a 12 months or extra to provide, deliveries of the bombs would start inside the subsequent few months.
If Trump goes forward, it could characterize a brand new degree of help to Israel from the USA, and a sign of Trump’s willingness to indulge Netanyahu’s requests at a second of deep uncertainty within the Center East.
However whereas Trump is well-liked in Israel, and Netanyahu enthusiastically welcomed his return to the White Home, issues haven’t at all times been so cheerful.
When Netanyahu congratulated Biden on his election victory in 2020, Trump was enraged at what he noticed as betrayal. Within the months that adopted, Trump accused Netanyahu of disloyalty and fumed to the esteemed Israeli reporter Barak Ravid, now a CNN analyst: “F**k him.”
Even three years later, after Hamas launched the worst terrorist assault in Israel’s historical past on October 7, 2023, it was clear Trump’s sore emotions hadn’t completely light.
“(Netanyahu) was not prepared. He was not prepared, and Israel was not prepared,” Trump mentioned in an interview shortly after the assaults, feedback that drew condemnation even from Republicans.
Netanyahu undoubtedly hopes the animosity shall be forgotten when he visits on Tuesday. It appears virtually sure his interactions with Trump will comprise not one of the open discord that coloured his relationship with Biden within the last 12 months of his presidency.
What is obvious is Netanyahu’s want to assemble a variety of opinions whereas he’s on the town. The prime minister is planning to stay in Washington nicely past his Tuesday talks with Trump. He arrived to Blair Home, the presidential visitor residence, late Sunday and is anticipated to remain till the tip of the week, together with for conferences on Capitol Hill.
For all of their huge variations, Trump and Biden do share a philosophy with regards to participating with their international counterparts: dealing instantly is the easiest way to make progress.
Could’s early journey to Washington, designed partly to persuade Trump to not withdraw from NATO, didn’t portend very hot ties for the remainder of his time period. He repeatedly criticized her dealing with of Brexit, though by the point Could resigned from workplace they appeared to have patched issues up.
With Netanyahu, nonetheless, Trump has an altogether extra instant job.
This story and headline have been up to date with further developments.
