President Trump Says US Will "take Over" Gaza Strip, Not Putting Aside Troop Delivery

President Trump delivered a press statement with PM Netanyahu at the White House. (Twitter/@WhiteHouse)

JAKARTA - President Donald Trump said the United States would take over the Gaza Strip, Palestine under the pretext of rebuilding it and not neglecting the delivery of its troops to the Palestinian enclave.

This was conveyed by President Trump in a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after a meeting in the Oval Room, the White House on Tuesday local time.

"I see the long-term position of ownership, and I see it will bring great stability to that part of the Middle East, and maybe throughout the Middle East as well," President Trump told reporters in the East Room.

"This is not a decision that is made easily. Everyone I talk to likes the idea that the United States owns that piece of land, develops and creates thousands of jobs with something that would be extraordinary," he continued.

President Trump also said the US would "take over the Gaza Strip, and we would also do work there."

"The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it, too." –President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/aCqLl9Gwwn

— President Donald J. Trump (@POTUS) February 5, 2025

"The US will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it, too." President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/aCqLl9Gwwn

"We will have it and be responsible for dismantling all the dangerous bombs that have not exploded and other weapons at the site," he said.

"Register the site and get rid of destroyed buildings, flatten, create economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for people in the area, do real work, do something different," he explained.

On the occasion, President Trump did not rule out sending American troops to help secure Gaza, following the US takeover.

"As far as Gaza is concerned, we will do what is necessary. If necessary, we will. We will take over the part we will develop," President Trump said when asked if he was willing to send US troops to fill the security vacuum in Gaza.

President Trump said his plans to take over Gaza would "create thousands and thousands of jobs, and it would be something the entire Middle East is very proud of."

Earlier, President Trump said the permanent transfer of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip which was destroyed by the war was upon receiving Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit.

He said Palestinians in the enclave had no choice but to leave the area which had to be rebuilt after nearly 16 months of war.

"That is the location of the demolition," President Trump said before meeting PM Netanyahu.

"If we can find the right piece of land, or a lot of land, and build a very good place for them with a lot of money in the area, that's for sure. I think it would be much better than returning to Gaza," he explained.

"I don't know how they (Palestinians) can stay," President Trump replied when asked about the reaction of Palestinian and Arab leaders to his proposal.

With Netanyahu beside him in the Oval Room, Trump then made a similar statement, suggesting that Palestinians leave Gaza forever "in a nice home and where they can be happy and not be shot, not killed."

"They won't want to return to Gaza," he said.

In response, Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations Riyad Mansour said Palestinians would choose to return to Gaza even though it was destroyed, because it was their homeland, quoted from The Times of Israel.

Meanwhile, senior leaders of the militant group Hamas last Saturday said, "plans to move Palestinians from Gaza are unreasonable and meaningless," as quoted by Middle East Monitor.

He stressed, "what Israel's occupation of violence failed to achieve, will not be achieved through political maneuvers."

Calling the plan a "recept for further chaos and tension in the region", Abu Zuhri said "the US repeated announcement of the relocation of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip under the pretext of reconstruction reflects the continued involvement in the crime."

However, President Trump told PM Netanyahu he did not want Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip.

The construction of Israeli settlements in Gaza was echoed by far-right coalition partners of the Prime Minister Netanyahu Administration.

It is known that a number of human rights defenders have likened President Trump's idea to ethnic cleansing.

The forced expulsion of Gaza's population is likely to be a violation of international law and will be strongly opposed not only in the region, but also by Washington's allies in the West.