President Donald Trump made an announcement during a press conference at the White House with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Tuesday, Feb. 4, that the United States was planning to take over Gaza.

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Politics

World reacts to Trump’s announcement to ‘take over’ Gaza Strip

Published Wednesday Updated Wednesday

Ryan Robertson Anchor

By Ryan Robertson (Anchor), Jodie Hawkins (Senior Producer)

President Donald Trump’s proposal to “take over” Gaza has drawn reactions from around the world. Trump has said he isn’t ruling out sending personnel to rebuild the area.
Hamas rejected the idea and said it could undermine the ceasefire between Gaza and Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Trump’s proposal is “worthwhile” to explore.

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The world is reacting to President Donald Trump’s latest statement on the war in Gaza. Trump announced during a press conference at the White House with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on Tuesday, Feb. 4, that the United States was planning to “take over” Gaza. He also noted he’s not ruling out sending U.S. troops to support rebuilding the land.

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Hamas rejected the idea as the group prepares to negotiate with Israel on the next phase of their ceasefire agreement in Gaza.

The two sides are exchanging hostages and prisoners after a 15-month war.

“Trump’s remarks about his desire to control Gaza are ridiculous and absurd, and any ideas of this kind are capable of igniting the region.” Hamas leader Abu Zuhri told Reuters.

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How are leaders in the Middle East reacting?

Around two million Palestinians call Gaza home, but Trump is suggesting they leave and go to neighboring countries like Egypt and Jordan, which are also rejecting the idea.

“His majesty the king stressed the need to stop settlement activities and reject any attempts to annex lands and displace Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, stressing the need to establish the Palestinians on their land,” Jordan’s state news agency said in a statement on Wednesday, Jan. 5.

Egypt said Palestinians should not be leaving Gaza while it’s being rebuilt, while Saudi Arabia said it won’t normalize relations with Israel without the establishment of a Palestinian state including Gaza.

Who is backing a two-state solution?

Australia’s Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, reaffirmed his country’s commitment to a two-state solution, dismissing Trump’s plan.

“Australia’s position is the same as it was this morning, as it was last year. The Australian government supports, on a bipartisan basis, a two-state solution in the Middle East,” Albanese said.

What are U.S. lawmakers on both sides of the aisle saying?

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., who’s a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Trump’s plan is a distraction to change the conversation away from another goal.

“The impact is to try to distract Americans from the real story: Donald Trump and Elon Musk are trying to seize control of the government,” Murphy said in an interview with MSNBC. “So that they can punish their enemies and reward their friends and gobble up a bunch of money for their billionaire and corporate friends.”

Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., the only Palestinian American member of Congress, said in a post on X that Trump was “openly calling for ethnic cleansing.”

She added, “He’s perfectly fine cutting off working Americans from federal funds while the funding to the Israeli government continues flowing.”

This president is openly calling for ethnic cleansing while sitting next to a genocidal war criminal. He’s perfectly fine cutting off working Americans from federal funds while the funding to the Israeli government continues flowing. https://t.co/Pw86wA8kOF
— Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (@RepRashida) February 4, 2025

Trump’s proposal caused mixed reactions among his key Republican allies.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., called the plan “problematic.”

Reps. Nancy Mace of South Carolina and Richard Hudson of North Carolina, both members of the House Republican Israel Caucus, were among those supporting the proposal.

“President Trump will never stop working to ensure historic and lasting peace!” Hudson posted to X.

President Trump will never stop working to ensure historic and lasting PEACE! https://t.co/IWvjAYNmID
— Rep. Richard Hudson (@RepRichHudson) February 5, 2025

Mace posted, “Let’s turn Gaza into Mar-a-Lago.”

Let’s turn Gaza into Mar-A-Lago https://t.co/ANpjI2GLaa
— Nancy Mace (@NancyMace) February 5, 2025

Does Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu support Trump’s plan?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not explicitly endorse Trump’s plan to take over Gaza. However, he said it’s a move that could change history and is a worthwhile proposal to explore.

Netanyahu continues his meetings in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. He is expected to talk with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Tags: Australia, Benjamin Netanyahu, Donald Trump, Egypt, Gaza, Hamas, Israel, Jordan, Lindsey Graham, Nancy Mace, Palestine, saudi arabia, War, West Bank, White House

[Ryan Robertson]

ONE OF THE MORE SURPRISING STATEMENTS MADE BY PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SINCE TAKING OFFICE WAS THAT THE UNITED STATES WOULD TAKE OVER THE GAZA STRIP. TSOT:

TRUMP MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT TUESDAY DURING A PRESS CONFERENCE AT THE WHITE HOUSE WITH ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYHAHU … NOTING HE’S NOT RULING OUT SENDING U-S TROOPS TO SUPPORT REBUILDING THE LAND.

HAMAS REJECTS THE IDEA AS IT PREPARES THIS WEEK TO NEGOTIATE WITH ISRAEL ON THE NEXT PHASE OF THEIR CEASEFIRE AGREEMENT IN GAZA.

THE TWO SIDES ARE EXCHANGING HOSTAGES AND PRISONERS AFTER A 15-MONTH WAR.

A SPOKESMAN FOR HAMAS, TOLD REUTERS … “TRUMP’S REMARKS ABOUT HIS DESIRE TO CONTROL GAZA ARE RIDICULOUS AND ABSURD, AND ANY IDEAS OF THIS KIND ARE CAPABLE OF IGNITING THE REGION.”

AROUND TWO MILLION PALESTINIANS CALL GAZA HOME, BUT TRUMP IS SUGGESTING THEY LEAVE AND GO TO NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES … LIKEEGYPT AND JORDAN … WHICH ARE ALSO REJECTING THE IDEA.

JORDAN’S STATE NEWS AGENCY RELEASED THIS STATEMENT WEDNESDAY …

“HIS MAJESTY THE KING STRESSED THE NEED TO STOP SETTLEMENT ACTIVITIES AND REJECT ANY ATTEMPTS TO ANNEX LANDS AND DISPLACE PALESTINIANS IN GAZA AND THE WEST BANK, STRESSING THE NEED TO ESTABLISH THE PALESTINIANS ON THEIR LAND.”

EGYPT’S FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS PALESTINIANS SHOULD NOT BE LEAVING GAZA WHILE IT’S BEING REBUILT … WHILE SAUDI ARABIA SAYS IT WON’T NORMALIZE RELATIONS WITH ISRAEL WITHOUT THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A PALESTINIAN STATE INCLUDING GAZA.

AUSTRALIA’S PRIME MINISTER REAFFIRMED HIS COUNTRY’S COMMITMENT TO A TWO-STATE SOLUTION DISMISSING TRUMP’S PLAN. “australia’s position is the same as it was this morning, as it was last year. the australian government supports, on a bipartisan basis, a two-state solution in the middleeast.

U-S LAWMAKERS ARE ALSO REACTING …

DEMOCRATIC CONNECTICUT SENATOR CHRIS MURPHY … WHO’S A MEMBER OF THE SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE SAYS TRUMP’S PLAN IS A DISTRACTION TO CHANGE THE CONVERSATION AWAY FROM ANOTHER GOAL.

the impact is to try to distract Americans from the real story Donald Trump and Elon Musk are trying to seize control of the govt. So that they can punish their enemies and reward their friends and gobble up a bunch of money for their billionaire and corporate friends. We’re not going to invade and occupy Gaza.

DEMOCRATIC REPRESENTATIVE RASHIDA TLAIB OF MICHIGAN, THE ONLY PALESTINIAN AMERICAN MEMBER OF CONGRESS, SAID IN A POST ON X THAT TRUMP WAS “OPENLY CALLING FOR ETHNIC CLEANSING,” ADDING: “HE’S PERFECTLY FINE CUTTING OFF WORKING AMERICANS FROM FEDERAL FUNDS WHILE THE FUNDING TO THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT CONTINUES FLOWING.”

TRUMP’S PROPOSAL CAUSED MIXED REACTION AMONG HIS KEY REPUBLICAN ALLIES.

SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM OF SOUTH CAROLINA CALLED THE PLAN “PROBLEMATIC”

REPRESENTATIVES NANCY MACE OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND RICHARD HUDSON OF NORTH CAROLINA … BOTH MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE REPUBLICAN ISRAEL CAUCUS … WERE AMONG THOSE SUPPORTING THE PROPOSAL.

“PRESIDENT TRUMP WILL NEVER STOP WORKING TO ENSURE HISTORIC AND LASTING PEACE!” HUDSON POSTED TO X.

WHILE MACE POSTED “LET’S TURN GAZA INTO MAR-A-LAGO.”

ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU DIDNOT EXPLICITY ENDORSE TRUMP’S PLAN TO TAKE OVER GAZA … BUT SAID ITS A MOVE THAT COULD CHANGE HISTORY AND IS A WORTHWHILE PROPOSAL TO EXPLORE.

HE CONTINUES HIS MEETINGS IN WASHINGTON, D-C, WEDNESDAY AND IS SCHEDULED TO TALK WITH DEFENSE SECRETARY PETE HEGSETH.

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