Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday supported US President Donald Trump’s plan to resettle Palestinians from Gaza, saying, “It should be pursued.”
“What’s wrong with the idea of allowing Gazans to leave?” Netanyahu was quoted as saying by news agency Reuters, adding that the idea “should be pursued and done.”
This statement follows comments made by President Donald Trump late on Tuesday, where he expressed a desire for the US to take ownership of the Gaza Strip and redevelop it after Palestinians are resettled elsewhere. Trump said, “We will own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site.”
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Trump also mentioned that the US would level destroyed buildings and create an economic development plan aimed at providing “unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area.”
“I do see a long-term ownership position, and I see it bringing great stability to that part of the Middle East and maybe the entire Middle East,” Trump told reporters during a White House press conference. “This was not a decision made lightly, everybody I’ve spoken to loves the idea of the United States owning that piece of land.”
Earlier, Trump had suggested that displaced Palestinians in Gaza be “permanently” resettled outside the territory.