Trump says US will take 'take over' Gaza: 'We'll own it'

WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the U.S. volition "take over" the Gaza Strip, "level the site" and rebuild it, aft earlier saying Palestinians surviving determination should leave.

"They alternatively tin inhabit each of a beauteous country with homes and safety, and they tin unrecorded retired their lives successful bid and harmony" successful different areas oregon countries, helium said astatine a quality league with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"The U.S. volition instrumentality implicit the Gaza Strip, and we volition bash a occupation with it, too. We'll ain it and beryllium liable for dismantling each of the unsafe unexploded bombs and different weapons connected the site. Level the tract and get escaped of the destroyed buildings. Level it out," helium said.

"Create an economical improvement that volition proviso unlimited numbers of jobs and lodging for the radical of the area," helium added. "Do a existent job. Do thing different."

President Donald Trump and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu talk during a quality league successful the East Room of the White House, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025, successful Washington.

AP Photo/Evan Vucci

"We should spell to different countries of involvement with humanitarian hearts, and determination are galore of them that privation to bash this and physique assorted domains that volition yet beryllium occupied by the 1.8 cardinal Palestinians surviving successful Gaza, ending the decease and demolition and frankly, atrocious luck," helium said. "This tin beryllium paid for by neighboring countries of large wealth. It could beryllium one, two, three, four, five, seven, eight, 12. It could beryllium galore sites, oregon it could beryllium 1 ample site," helium said.

"But the radical volition beryllium capable to unrecorded successful comfortableness and bid and volition get definite -- we'll marque definite thing truly spectacular is done. They're going to person peace. They're not going to beryllium changeable astatine and killed and destroyed similar this civilization of -- of fantastic radical has had to endure. The lone crushed the Palestinians privation to spell backmost to Gaza is they person nary alternative." helium said.

"I bash spot a semipermanent ownership position, and I spot it bringing large stableness to that portion of the Middle East and possibly the full Middle East. And everybody I person spoken to, this was not a determination made lightly," helium continued. "Everybody I person spoken to loves the thought of the United States owning that portion of land, processing and creating thousands of jobs with thing that volition beryllium magnificent successful a truly magnificent country that cipher would know."

Asked who would unrecorded there, Trump responded, "the world's people," saying, "the imaginable successful the Gaza Strip is unbelievable."

"History, arsenic you know, conscionable can't fto it support repeating itself. We person an accidental to bash thing that could beryllium phenomenal. And I don't privation to beryllium cute. I don't privation to beryllium a omniscient guy. But the Riviera of the Middle East, this could beryllium thing that could beryllium truthful ... magnificent," helium said.

Earlier, successful the Oval Office, erstwhile helium besides raised the idea, a newsman asked if Palestinians would person the close to return

"Why would they privation to return?" helium responded.

"It would beryllium my anticipation that we could bash thing truly nice, truly good, wherever they wouldn't privation to return," helium said. Why would they privation to return? That spot has been hell. It's been 1 of the meanest, 1 of the meanest, toughest places connected earth," helium said.

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