US To 'Own' Gaza: Trump Proposes Takeover, Suggests All Palestinians Should Move Out Of The War-Torn Strip

In an unprecedented move, President Donald Trump on Tuesday (4 February) proposed that the United States should "take over" over the Gaza Strip.

Trump's proposal came as he hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for crucial talks on the ceasefire with Hamas.

Despite clear rejections from the Palestinians and both Egypt and Jordan, Trump reiterated his demand for Palestinians to move out from the war-torn Gaza Strip to these Middle Eastern and African countries.

"The US will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it, too. We'll own it," Trump was quoted by news agency AFP as saying to a joint press conference with Netanyahu.

Trump said the United States would get rid of unexploded bombs, "level the site" and remove destroyed buildings, and "create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area."

However, Trump implied that the returnees to the area might not be the Palestinians.

"It should not go through a process of rebuilding and occupation by the same people that have really stood there and fought for it and lived there and died there and lived a miserable existence there," he said.

He suggested that the two million residents of Gaza should "go to other countries of interest with humanitarian hearts."

Netanyahu hailed Trump as the "greatest friend Israel has ever had."

He said the US president's Gaza plan could "change history" and was worth "paying attention to."

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