
“I hope we can do something beautiful, so beautiful that they don’t want to go back. Why would they go back? That place has been hell.” President Donald Trump has unveiled a plan for Gaza that involves relocating Palestinians to places so “beautiful” that “they won’t want to go back,” while the United States takes long-term control and ownership of the Gaza Strip, rebuilding it and turning it into the “Riviera of the Middle East.” He made the remarks during a conference call with Benjamin Netanyahu, the first foreign leader to visit the White House in his second term.
“You are the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House,” Netanyahu said, recalling the move of the US embassy to Jerusalem, the withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, and the Abraham Accords – all reached during Trump’s first term. “You say things that others refuse to say, and everyone is speechless, but then they scratch their heads and say: you were right.”
Trump’s plan could help shape the future map of the Middle East and “change history,” Netanyahu said. Trump’s comments came in response to questions from reporters during a news conference packed with ministers and senior officials. It is not clear how Trump envisions taking control of Gaza. “I see it as a long-term ownership, it would bring great stability to that part of the Middle East, maybe to the entire region,” the US president said, adding that the reconstruction would bring “unlimited jobs and housing for the people of the area,” and “people from all over the world” would settle there.
Asked about the future of the Palestinians, he replied that they too would be able to live there: “We will do it in the best possible way. It will be wonderful for the Palestinians, above all for the Palestinians, that’s what we are talking about.” Asked if American troops would be deployed to take control of Gaza, he replied: “We will do what is necessary... We will take it and develop it.”
The main purpose of the visit was to discuss a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all Israeli hostages. The White House has said that Hamas can no longer be allowed to rule Gaza. But the two leaders do not necessarily agree on the timing of this goal. However, Trump and Netanyahu share a major ambition: normalizing relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, expanding the Abraham Accords (reached with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain). “I think we will do it,” Netanyahu said. Riyadh is making normalization conditional on the creation of a Palestinian state, but Trump suggested that this may not be a necessary condition: “They are looking for something, and you know what? Peace.” Shortly afterwards, the Saudi Foreign Ministry issued a statement rejecting “the idea of ??moving Palestinians out of Gaza.”
Trump has avoided saying whether he supports a two-state solution. He has presented the relocation of Palestinians to other countries as a humanitarian issue. “There are thirty thousand unexploded bombs, buildings that are in danger of collapsing at any moment, there are no basic services, no drinking water, no gas, God only knows what diseases there are,” said Steve Witkoff, the US envoy for the Middle East. According to him, it will take at least 10-15 years to rebuild Gaza, while national security adviser Mike Waltz described the five-year deadline envisaged by the Biden administration as unattainable.
“I don’t think people should go back. You can’t live in Gaza right now,” the US president said. According to him, Palestinians “want to go back only because they have no alternative... They would like to leave Gaza if they could.” He suggested that if “quality housing, a great city” were built, they might not want to go back. “Maybe all of them, 1.7 or 1.8 million people, should be relocated somewhere where they can have a good life.”
Trump said he believes Jordan (King Abdullah will be in Washington next week) and Egypt will accept the relocation of Palestinians. “I know they told you they wouldn’t, but I’m telling you they would. And I think other countries will.” Witkoff will meet with Qatar’s prime minister in Florida tomorrow, while Netanyahu will send a delegation to Qatar to discuss the “technical details” of new phases of the ceasefire. Trump’s envoy said the plan proposed by the Biden administration “wasn’t great” and that some points need to be revised.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu secured the White House's commitment to push Congress toward approving an $8 billion military aid package for Israel. The two leaders also discussed Iran: Trump - who yesterday signed an executive order to restore "maximum pressure" on Tehran, although he admitted that he "hates doing this" - made it clear that he wants a nuclear deal with Iran. However, Netanyahu is believed to have asked for guarantees that, if diplomacy fails, the US will provide Israel with the weapons to strike Iranian nuclear facilities. According to Washington, Iranian scientists are exploring faster ways to develop a nuclear weapon, if Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei decides to speed up the process. Meanwhile, Tehran has sent Trump signals for negotiations.
Regarding Iran, Trump warned: "I left instructions, if they kill me, they will be annihilated." Asked if he expects to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, the American president replied: "I deserve it, but they will never give it to me."/Corriere Della Sera