Support for President Donald Trump’s vision for the U.S. to ‘take over the Gaza Strip,’ level it and rebuild the area came flooding in on Tuesday after a news conference announcing the plan.
The comments were made following a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House in which Trump claimed the U.S. would take over the Strip and make it safe again.
‘The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it, too,’ Trump stated. ‘We’ll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous, unexplored bombs and other weapons on the site.’
Trump’s sentiments were echoed by many officials across the social media platform X.
‘Trump’s proposed USA takeover of the Gaza Strip may sound out of the box, but it is brilliant, historic and the only idea I have heard in 50 years that has a chance of bringing security, peace and prosperity to this troubled region,’ Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman wrote.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff and Cabinet Secretary Taylor Budowich also expressed that it was ‘Time to think different, stop the killing!’
‘Pres. Trump’s pursuit of peace and prosperity for all is truly visionary. Gaza shouldn’t be a pile of rubble that provides refuge to terrorists, especially when it so easily can become Dubai 2.0. Time to think different, stop the killing!,’ he wrote on X.
In a second post, he said that there is a need for lasting peace.
‘President Trump’s bold and unwavering pursuit for peace continues with a humanitarian’s heart. The killing must stop, the war must end, and we must realize lasting PEACE. That’s why the United States will work with Israel to secure Gaza and find a lasting home for the Palestinian people,’ Budowich stated.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio agreed with the president, saying that ‘Gaza MUST BE FREE from Hamas. As @POTUS shared today, the United States stands ready to lead and Make Gaza Beautiful Again. Our pursuit is one of lasting peace in the region for all people.’
Netanyahu said during the news conference with Trump that the Gaza Strip has become ‘a symbol of death and destruction for so many decades and so bad for the people anywhere near it.’
He also lauded Trump’s tenacity and ability ‘to think outside the box’ during his comments to the press.
Sen. Rick Scott seemingly agreed with Netanyahu, writing in an X post, ‘Hamas terrorists murdered babies and burned people alive. They are evil monsters. Thank God we finally have a president who is committed to standing with Israel and working with Netanyahu on how to support their efforts to get terrorists out of Gaza and bring every hostage home.’
Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne is one of many who stand for the president’s radical movement to change how this country is being run and agrees this is the right move for peace.
‘The world is looking to the United States for leadership and President @realDonaldTrump is delivering lasting peace! Today’s announcement put Hamas, Iran, and all our enemies on notice — the U.S. will NOT continue the status quo that has empowered terrorists and created a humanitarian disaster,’ she said.
Not everyone is onboard, though Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry issued a statement to Trump, noting a call for an independent Palestinian state was a ‘firm, steadfast and unwavering position.’
‘The Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirms that the position of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the establishment of the Palestinian state is a firm, unwavering position, and His Highness the Prime Minister – may God protect him – has affirmed this position in a clear and explicit manner that does not allow for any interpretation under any circumstances,’ the statement said.
Saudi Arabia and the U.S. are in negotiations over a deal to diplomatically recognize Israel in exchange for a security pact among other terms.
‘The duty of the international community today is to work to alleviate the severe human suffering endured by the Palestinian people, who will remain committed to their land and will not budge from it,’ the Saudi statement said.
Hamas also wrote a statement criticizing Trump’s comments.
‘We reject Trump’s statements in which he said that the residents of the Gaza Strip have no choice but to leave, and we consider them a recipe for creating chaos and tension in the region,’ the group said.
Hamas has recently reaffirmed control over the Gaza Strip following the start of the ceasefire and has said they will not release hostages without an end to the war and Israeli forces’ full withdrawal.