Trump Reiterates 'Spectacular' Plan to Take Over Gaza

On Wednesday, some in the Trump administration seemed to walk back the president's audacious proposal of a US takeover of Gaza. But on Thursday, Trump himself doubled down on aspects of the plan, reports the BBC. "The Gaza Strip would be turned over to the United States by Israel at the conclusion of fighting," he wrote on Truth Social. Palestinians living there "would be resettled in far safer and more beautiful communities, with new and modern homes, in the region," and they "would actually have a chance to be happy, safe, and free." Then the redevelopment part:

• The US, "working with great development teams from all over the World, would slowly and carefully begin the construction of what would become one of the greatest and most spectacular developments of its kind on Earth. No soldiers by the U.S. would be needed! Stability for the region would reign!!!"

• Israel plans: The nation's defense minister on Thursday said he instructed the army to begin preparing for the exodus of large numbers of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip in line with Trump's plan, reports the AP. Defense chief Israel Katz said the plan "will include options for exit at land crossings as well as special arrangements for exit by sea and air." He said Trump's "bold" proposal would "allow a large population in Gaza to leave for various places in the world."
• But: A Hamas official reiterated Thursday that Palestinians would never leave their land, reports Reuters. And this is after Trump's proposal met with criticism in the international community. Notably, Saudi Arabia rejected the idea of a forced repatriation of Palestinians and reaffirmed its support for the creation of a Palestinian state, per the Wall Street Journal.
• Big picture: An analysis by Steven Erlanger in the New York Times notes that Trump's plan seems "outlandish and unworkable," but suggests it might inject new ideas into an intractable issue. The piece quotes Gérard Araud, a former French ambassador to DC: "Trump's proposal for Gaza is met with disbelief, opposition and sarcasm, but as he often does, in his brutal and clumsy way, he raises a real question: What to do when two million civilians find themselves in a field of ruins, full of explosives and corpses?"

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