KABUL (Pajhwok): In a shock announcement, President Donald Trump on has said the US will take over the Gaza Strip, asking the Palestinians living there should leave the war-ruined enclave.
Addressing a joint presser with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Tuesday, he said: “The US will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it too.”
CNN quoted him as saying the US would be responsible for dismantling dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons, level the site and get rid of destroyed buildings.
In response to a query, the Republican leader did not rule it out sending US troops to fill a security vacuum in Gaza, which bore the brunt of Israeli airstrikes for more than a year.
He visualised a future for Gaza that largely excluded Palestinians. He suggested they could return to the strip, which he did not envision as a permanent home for Palestinians.
In reaction to Trump’s remarks, one Arab official said they were “rough, raw, hard to grasp and digest” They needed clarity to become understood, he added.
Another Arab official warned the comments could imperil the fragile ceasefire deal in Gaza. Such proposals could have profound implications on the lives and dignity of the Palestinian people, he believed.
According to the diplomat, 1.8 million people in Gaza would resist such an initiative and refuse to leave. “Saudi Arabia is unlikely to pursue peace under these circumstances, and other nations may reconsider their commitments to the Abraham Accords.”
Meanwhile, South Carolina Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham reacted: “We’ll see what our Arab friends say about that. I think most South Carolinians would probably not be excited about sending Americans to take over Gaza.”
The Saudi Foreign Ministry reiterated its long-held stance, saying it would not commit to normalisation of relations with Israel without guarantees of a Palestinian state.
In a statement, it said: “Saudi Arabia will continue its relentless efforts to establish an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without that.”
PAN Monitor/mud
