President Trump said Saturday that Palestinians won’t have the right to return to Gaza, and “I would own this,” expanding on his statements last week that the U.S. would “take over” and “own” the Gaza Strip, and that Palestinians should not return.
The president made the comment during an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier that was recorded Saturday, but the latest portion was released Monday.
The president’s remarks come as Israel and Hamas continue to carry out a tenuous ceasefire and hostage deal. Hamas still holds captives from its Oct. 7, 2023 terrorist attack on Israel.
“We’ll build beautiful communities for the 1.9 million people,” the president told Baier. “We’ll build beautiful communities. Safe communities. Could be five, six. Could be two, but we’ll build safe communities a little bit away from where they are, where all of this danger is. In the meantime, I would own this. Think of it as a real estate development for the future. It would be a beautiful piece of land—”
Baier asked Mr. Trump, “Would the Palestinian have the right to return?”
“No, they wouldn’t, because they’re going to have much better housing, much better. In other words, I’m talking about building a permanent place for them,” Mr. Trump responded. “Because if they have to return now, it’ll be years before you could ever — it’s not habitable. It could be years before it could happen.”
Mr. Trump repeated his assertions that Jordan and Egypt might spend the money to resettle and house Palestinians, though both countries have so far rejected the idea. And it’s not clear where the approximately 2.1 million Palestinians who live in Gaza would be housed while dwellings for them were being built elsewhere.
The president’s latest suggestion that he individually would own any of the land or real estate developments in Gaza under his plan is new, although the president has repeatedly suggested that Palestinians should live elsewhere. His response that Palestinians don’t have the right to return is his furthest-reaching statement on the matter yet and constitutes an implicit rejection of a two-state solution.
The president’s words are likely to spark anger from the Palestinian community. Many have hoped the land would become an independent Palestinian state, and in the past, Mr. Trump has expressed support for a two-state solution. Israel has welcomed Mr. Trump’s proposal that the U.S. take over the land, while some families of the hostages captured by Hamas have expressed fear that Mr. Trump’s remarks could hinder the release of the remaining hostages.
Last week, during a visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Mr. Trump said of Palestinians in Gaza that they should be resettled “permanently” in a “beautiful area” and “nice homes.” He added, “Just can’t go back. If you go back, it’s gonna end up the same way it has for a hundred years.”
“The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it, too,” Mr. Trump said Tuesday. “We’ll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site, level the site and get rid of the destroyed buildings — level it out. Create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area. Do a real job. Do something different.”
