March 5, 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump has proposed that the United States "take over" and "own" the Gaza Strip, suggesting long-term control after the ongoing conflict. His statement came during a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on February 4, where Trump emphasized the need for a new approach to Gaza's future.
Since his announcement, Trump and his administration have sent mixed signals about the plan. On February 5, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt assured reporters that Palestinian displacement would be “temporary” and that no U.S. troops or tax dollars would be involved in Gaza. However, in a February 10 Fox News interview, Trump appeared to contradict this, stating that Palestinians would not return to Gaza because “they’re going to have much better housing... a permanent place for them.”
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Arab leaders adopted Egypt’s $53 billion reconstruction plan for Gaza on March 4, which aims to rebuild the enclave without displacing Palestinians, unlike U.S. President Trump’s “Middle East Riviera” vision. The plan was welcomed by Hamas but rejected by Israel and the U.S., with both opposing Hamas’ continued presence in Gaza. Egyptian President Sissi emphasized the proposal's focus on restoring dignity to Palestinians, proposing an initial recovery phase followed by a reconstruction period lasting until 2030. While the plan outlines modern infrastructure and a Palestinian-led administration, it lacks specific details on Hamas’s role, funding sources, and how to address ongoing security concerns, with significant divisions among Arab leaders on the future of the terror group.
On February 26, President Donald Trump shared an AI-generated music video on his Truth Social page, depicting a futuristic, glitzy "Trump Gaza" development after forcibly evicting Gaza’s 2.2 million residents. The surreal clip features golden Trump statues, bearded belly dancers, and Trump himself dancing and lounging with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, all set to an upbeat song celebrating the imagined transformation.
Witkoff dismissed President Biden’s Gaza proposal, arguing that its five-year reconstruction timeline was unrealistic. “It’s a giant slum … it’s a slum that’s been decimated,” he said, emphasizing that a more realistic timeline would be 15 to 25 years.
Defending Trump’s vision for Gaza, Witkoff insisted, “It’s not an eviction plan, it’s about creating an environment that—whoever should live there—is better than it’s ever been.” He rejected the idea of a forced Palestinian diaspora, warning that mass displacement would only lead to further radicalization.
Trump, he added, is not focused on a two-state solution but rather on “how you get to a better life” for Palestinians through education, career opportunities, and economic growth. While acknowledging that “maybe we should be talking about the ability to come back later on,” he maintained that “right here, right now, Gaza is a long-term redevelopment plan.”
What is Trump’s plan?
This initiative proposes relocating Palestinian residents to neighboring countries like Egypt and Jordan, with the stated goal of providing them with safer and more stable living conditions. Trump envisions the U.S. leading Gaza’s reconstruction by clearing unexploded ordnance, removing debris, and developing infrastructure to create jobs and housing. He argues that this approach would prevent the region from reverting to conflict and instability.
However, Egypt and Jordan have firmly rejected the proposal, citing concerns over regional destabilization and the forced displacement of Palestinians from their homeland. Their opposition underscores broader skepticism about the plan’s feasibility and long-term consequences.
WATCH: Why Did Trump Suggest U.S. Control Over Gaza?
What’s the big picture?
Trump’s remarks come as Israel and Hamas prepare to negotiate the next phase of the ceasefire, and there is concern that Trump's proposal risks complicating these delicate talks. This phase is expected to include the release of the rest of the remaining hostages, dead or alive, and a possible complete Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
The ceasefire talks are centered on reaching a resolution that would balance the release of hostages with Israel’s long-standing goal of dismantling Hamas’ military threat and governing capabilities.
What has been the response in the Middle East?
President Trump's proposal for the U.S. to assume control over the Gaza Strip and relocate its Palestinian population has been met with widespread condemnation across the Middle East, including from key Arab allies. Egypt and Jordan have firmly rejected the plan, emphasizing that it could lead to regional instability and violate international norms. The Arab League has also denounced the proposal, warning that it could exacerbate tensions and undermine efforts toward a two-state solution.
During a meeting with Trump in the Oval Office, Jordan’s King Abdullah announced that his country would take in 2,000 sick children from Gaza, a move seen as an effort to appease Trump amid his controversial plan to relocate Palestinians. Trump praised the announcement, calling it “so beautiful” and “music to my ears,” while dismissing concerns about his plan, insisting, “They’re going to be very happy.” Jordan and Egypt have rejected the proposal, viewing it as a security threat that would expand the Israeli-Palestinian conflict into their borders. Despite this opposition, Trump claimed he largely knew what the Arab plan would be, saying, “It’s going to be… magnificent for the Palestinians. They’re going to be in love with it.”
WATCH: How the Middle East is Reacting to President Trump's Gaza Proposal
What is AJC saying?
AJC welcomed President Trump’s unreserved reaffirmation, in the White House press conference following his meeting on February 4 with Prime Minister Netanyahu, of U.S. support for Israel’s security, the release of all hostages held captive by terrorists in Gaza, an end to the Iranian regime’s support for terror and its dangerous quest for nuclear weapons capability, and Israel’s full integration in a peaceful and prosperous Middle East.
"At the same time, the President’s surprising, concerning, and confusing comments on an American plan to ‘take control’ and ‘own’ Gaza and the relocation of its population raise a wealth of questions – first among them the impact of the President’s announcement on the ongoing hostage-release agreement. The release of all remaining hostages, and the agreement’s ultimate fulfillment of the objective to rid Gaza of Hamas rule, must remain U.S. and Israeli priorities,” said AJC CEO Ted Deutch.
Read the full AJC statement here.
What is and where is The Gaza Strip?
The Gaza Strip is a 141-square-mile Palestinian enclave near Israel's southwestern tip, bordered by Egypt, Israel, and the Mediterranean Sea. Home to about 1.8 million Palestinians, its name is derived from Gaza, the largest city in the region.
In 2005, Israel left Gaza unilaterally, hoping the Palestinians would use the opportunity to develop the area and create a better future for themselves.
But shortly after Israel's withdrawal, Gazans elected Hamas, which violently ousted the Palestinian Authority in 2007. Hamas’ election in 2006 was viewed at the time as a repudiation of the long-dominant Palestinian political party Fatah, which was widely considered financially corrupt. Backed by Iran, Hamas has used its base in Gaza to launch multiple significant attacks on Israel, including in 2008, 2009, 2014, 2021, and most recently on October 7, 2023. On that day, Hamas terrorists murdered over 1,200 Israelis, wounded more than 12,000, took 250 hostages, and launched thousands of rockets.
Who governs Gaza?
After Hamas was elected in 2006, the terror group staged a brutal and bloody takeover of Gaza, ousting Fatah officials, dissolving the unity government, and dividing the Palestinian territories between Gaza and the West Bank. There have been no elections since.
Half of the population of Gaza is so young that they were born after Hamas’s takeover. Hamas has ruled them for their entire lives.
The political situation in the Gaza Strip remains uncertain following the October 7 Hamas massacre in Israel and Israel’s subsequent defensive war against Hamas. Israel's goal is to eliminate Hamas’ military threat and end its political control over Gaza. Hamas’ forces have suffered great losses. While Israeli forces remain stationed inside Gaza amid ongoing ceasefire and hostage negotiations, the future governance of Gaza is still unresolved.
Hamas, elected by Palestinian voters in 2006, is a designated terrorist organization. Its charter, which is antisemitic, anti-Israel, and anti-Western, calls for the destruction of Israel and the establishment of an Islamic state in place of the Jewish state. Over the past 25 years, Hamas has carried out nearly 100 suicide attacks, killing around 2,200 Israelis, including the victims of the October 7 massacre.
Founded in 1988 during the First Intifada as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas seeks the end of the Jewish state and the creation of an Islamic state from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea. Its immediate goal is the "liberation of Palestine" and the "return" of the Palestinian people.
Hamas has also long used rocket attacks against Israeli civilians to rally more Palestinians to its cause, presenting itself as both a defender of Palestinian rights and an antisemitic movement. While it purports to govern Gaza, provide social services, and serve as a religious faction, its true aim is the eradication of Israel and all Jews.
Has Israel made any serious offers of peace that would grant Gaza to the Palestinians?
Israel has long supported proposals that would lead to a two-state solution, which would include Palestinian control over the Gaza Strip.
Various Israeli leaders have proposed several peace plans, including the Oslo Accords in 1993, Ehud Barak’s offer at Camp David in 2000, and Ehud Olmert’s “unprecedented offer” in 2007, based on the pre-1967 borders.
All of these plans granted Gaza to the Palestinians. However, each plan was met with rejection or violence, such as the Second Intifada following the Camp David talks.
Despite the rejection at Camp David and the violence of the Second Intifada, Israel unilaterally disengaged from the Gaza Strip. It removed its settlements while handing control over the territory to the Palestinian Authority.
Most recently, in 2020, the Trump Administration unveiled the "Peace to Prosperity" plan, suggesting a vision for a two-state solution again leaving Palestinians in control of Gaza.
Does Israel want to occupy the Gaza Strip?
The State of Israel has not expressed a desire to occupy the Gaza Strip. While certain right-wing elements of Israeli society have expressed a desire to resettle Gaza, this idea has never been official government policy.
In fact, history shows that Israel has tried to hand over Gaza, even after gaining control as a result of war and despite internal opposition within Israel.
From 1948 to 1967, the Gaza Strip was occupied by Egypt, which took control of the territory during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, also known as Israel’s War of Independence. As a result of the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel gained control over the Gaza Strip from Egypt.
In 2005, Israel, overcoming huge political pushback from the right wing, withdrew from the Gaza Strip, dismantling its settlements and military installations in the name of peace and in hopes of creating a better future. But those hopes never came to fruition, especially after Hamas rose to power in Gaza and ousted the Fatah-controlled Palestinian Authority.
