Palestinian allies decry Trump’s Gaza takeover proposal

Several Middle Eastern leaders spoke against President Donald Trump’s Tuesday night proposition of taking over the cleanup and rebuilding of the Gaza Strip. Trump shared the idea in a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the pair met privately. The U.S. military could help clean up unexploded bombs and other dangerous weapons scattered throughout the region, Trump said. American forces could also clear the devastation and make way for new development, he added.

How have foreign leaders reacted?

• Egyptian Foreign Affairs Minister Badr Abdelatty reaffirmed support for the Palestinian people during a meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohamed Mostafa on Wednesday, according to a statement from Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman Tamim Khalla. The leaders discussed recovery and reconstruction plans for Gaza, he added.

• King Abdullah II of Jordan also met with Mostafa and reaffirmed his country’s support for the Palestinians returning to Gaza, according to a Wednesday statement from his court. All attempts to annex land and displace Palestinians must be rejected, he stressed on social media. Abdullah himself is scheduled to meet with Trump on Feb. 11.

• Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations Riyad Mansour suggested that if leaders wanted Palestinians to be happy and safe, they would be allowed to return to lands they held at one point inside Israel. The Gaza Strip is destroyed, but Palestinians are still choosing to return to their homeland, he said.

Dig deeper: Read Josh Schumacher’s report on the first wave of Palestinians returning to Northern Gaza last month during the ceasefire.