President Donald Trump has said the United States will “take over” and “own” Gaza after an ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from the besieged enclave.
Hamas, the Palestinian group that governs Gaza, swiftly condemned the proposal as a “recipe for creating chaos and tension in the region”.
Trump’s statement on his Gaza plans came while he was addressing a news conference at the White House with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Here’s what he told reporters:
“Today I’m delighted to welcome Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu back to the White House. It’s a wonderful feeling and a wonderful event. We had fantastic talks, and thank you very much, with your staff.
“I want to say it’s an honour to have you with us. Over the past four years, the US and the Israeli alliance has been tested more than any time in history, but the bonds of friendship and affection between the American and Israeli people have endured for generations and they are absolutely unbreakable.
Saudi Arabia, which Trump hopes will establish ties with Israel, rejected the plan outright.
Turkey called the proposal “unacceptable” and France said it risked destabilising the Middle East.
Countries from Russia, China, Spain, Ireland and the UK said they continued to support the two-state solution that has formed the basis of Washington’s policy in the region for decades.
Spanish Foreign minister Jose Manuel Albares on Wednesday rejected a proposal by U.S. President Donald Trump to resettle Palestinians.
"I want to be very clear on this: Gaza is the land of Gazan Palestinians and they must stay in Gaza," Albares told reporters.
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