Despite global criticism of his earlier statement, including from US allies, President Donald Trump has insisted that the United States is committed to buying and owning the Gaza Strip.
This is coming a week after he initially proposed to take over the densely populated territory on the eastern Mediterranean coast.
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His stance on Gaza has been condemned by most world leaders and institutions including the EU, UN and Arab countries. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the proposal was tantamount to “ethnic cleansing,” which is a crime in international law.
PREMIUM TIMES reported the statement by the Saudi government rejecting Mr Trump’s proposal and insisting it would not normalise relations with Israel until Palestinians have their own country Gaza.
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In his statements, the US president said Palestinians would be resettled in neighbouring countries.
According to him, the US intends to transform the Gaza Strip into the “Riviera of the Middle East.” However, Palestinian leaders and the local community have firmly rejected the redevelopment proposal.
Mr Trump, speaking to journalists on Sunday, said he is willing to allow other Middle Eastern countries to develop Gaza.
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“Think of it as a big real estate site, and the United States is going to own it and will slowly, very slowly, develop it.
“As far as us rebuilding it, we may give it to other states in the Middle East to build sections of it. Other people may do it, under our auspices,” Aljazeera quoted the US President as saying.
Mr Trump said he intends to turn Gaza “into a very good site for future development by somebody. People can come from all over the world” and live there.
He also said he would consider allowing some Palestinians to settle in the United States on a case-by-case basis.
Hamas responds
Responding to Mr Trump’s latest statement, Hamas, the Palestinian group that governs Gaza, reiterated its opposition, describing the American leader’s statement as “absurd.”
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The group stated that Gaza cannot be bought and sold as though it were personal property.
“it is an integral part of our occupied Palestinian land,” Izzat al-Risheq, a member of the Hamas political bureau, said in a statement shared on Telegram.
“Dealing with the Palestinian issue with the mentality of a real estate dealer is a recipe for failure. Our Palestinian people will thwart all displacement and deportation plans. Gaza belongs to its people,” he added.
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