Trump's Gaza plan triggers intl criticism

GAZA CITY — US President Donald Trump's plan for the US to take over the Gaza Strip and create a "Riviera of the Middle East" after resettling Palestinians elsewhere has sparked widespread criticism.

Trump made his announcement during a joint news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom he was hosting at the White House for talks.

Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the White House to warn him that "Palestine is not for sale", Al Jazeera reported.

The shock proposal was also swiftly condemned by the international community, with regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia rejecting the plan outright.

Turkiye called the proposal "unacceptable" and France said it risks destabilizing the Middle East.

Countries such as China, Russia, Spain and the United Kingdom said they continue to support the two-state solution that has formed the basis of Washington's policy in the region for decades.

In a proposal that lacked details on how he would move out more than 2 million Palestinians or control Gaza, Trump said he would make the war-battered enclave "unbelievable" by removing unexploded bombs and rubble, and economically redeveloping it.

"The US will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it, too. We'll own it," Trump said.

Suggesting "long-term ownership "by the United States, Trump said his idea would make it "the Riviera of the Middle East", something that "could be so magnificent".

The casual proposal sent diplomatic shock waves across the Middle East and around the globe.

"The American racist stance aligns with the Israeli extreme right's position in displacing our people and eliminating our cause," Hamas spokesman Abdel Latif al-Qanou said.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also rejected the proposal.

"President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian leadership expressed their strong rejection of calls to seize the Gaza Strip and displace Palestinians outside their homeland," his office said, adding that "legitimate Palestinian rights are not negotiable".

Saudi Arabia rejects any attempts to displace the Palestinians from their land, its Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday, adding the kingdom would not establish ties with Israel without the creation of a State of Palestine.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Wednesday that China opposes the forced transfer of Palestinians.

"China has always believed that Palestinians governing Palestine is the basic principle of post-conflict governance," he said, adding Beijing backs a two-state solution in the region.

Some of the toughest criticism came from France, which said the forced displacement of Gazans would be a serious violation of international law, an attack on the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinians and destabilize the region.

'Ridiculous, absurd'

A Hamas official said Trump's statement about taking over the enclave is "ridiculous and absurd".

"Any ideas of this kind are capable of igniting the region," Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters, saying Hamas remains committed to the cease-fire with Israel and "ensuring the success of the negotiation in the second phase".

Trump's remarks also faced domestic opposition. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy wrote on X: "He's totally lost it ... A US invasion of Gaza would lead to the slaughter of thousands of US troops and decades of war in the Middle East. It's like a bad, sick joke."

Much of Gaza was leveled in a 15-month conflict, and Trump has repeatedly claimed credit for sealing the cease-fire agreement that took effect last month.

Netanyahu, who has vowed to bring home hostages taken by Hamas and to crush the group's capabilities, said Trump's plan could "change history" and was worth "paying attention to".

Mike Gu in Hong Kong contributed to this story.

Agencies - Xinhua