President Trump on Thursday suggested that the US would take control of the Gaza Strip and turn it into a “free zone,” highlighting one of his more controversial diplomatic proposals during his visit to Qatar, according to the hill.
“I have the concept of Gaza. I think it’s very good. Make it a free zone. Let the US participate and make it just a free zone,” Trump said in the business roundtable.
“I’d like to have the US take it, take it, make it a free zone and let some good things happen. Put people at home where they can be safe and Hamas will have to deal with it,” Trump added.
Qatar plays the host of regular ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas, trying to stop the battle between them, but negotiations have so far been in a stalemate as the bombing continues.
The President first proposed this before the US idea to control Gaza, which had been devastated by Israeli military strikes.
Trump previously suggests that the US rebuilt the strip while Palestinians living in Gaza moved elsewhere in the area. He dispels questions about how the United States will take over territory, but he had previously floated that Israel would take over it at the end of the war with Gaza.
The idea has gathered pushbacks from US allies such as Saudi Arabia and from heads of the Palestinian national authorities.