The idea would upend a centuries-old conflict over ownership of the land along the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea by permanently relocating the Palestinian people. Netanyahu didn’t dismiss the concept. "I think it’s worth paying attention to. We are talking about it,” Netanyahu said. “I think it is something that could change history, and it is worthwhile really pursuing this idea.”
President Donald Trump called for the U.S. to have “long-term ownership” of the Gaza Strip. It comes as Israel and Hamas are working to hold a ceasefire after more than a year of war. It’s the latest of several pushes the president has made to incorporate international land into the U.S. Trump did not rule out a U.S. military presence in Gaza and did not offer an option for Palestinians who wished to stay. Trump said instead that they “have no alternative” but to leave.
Trump's remarks came during a Tuesday evening joint press conference with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who became the first foreign leader to visit the White House during Trump's second term. Trump spoke at length about his call, first floated last week, to resettle Gaza's residents. The strip, Trump said, "has been a symbol of death and destruction for decades" and "should not go through a process of rebuilding and occupation by the same people who have … lived a miserable existence there." Instead, he said, the United States "will take over the Gaza Strip" through "a long-term ownership position" and lead the rebuilding process.
