WASHINGTON - United States (US) President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that the "US will take over the Gaza Strip," shortly after proposing the permanent resettlement of Palestinians outside the enclave.
"The US will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it too," Anadolu Agency (AA) quoted Trump as saying during a news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"We'll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site, level the site, and get rid of the destroyed buildings. We will clear the area, create economic development, and provide unlimited jobs and housing for the people," he added.
Earlier, during a meeting with Netanyahu at the Oval Office, Trump suggested that Jordan and Egypt would accept Palestinians from Gaza, arguing that the enclave was now a "demolition site" and uninhabitable.
"I know they've spoken about it with you, and they say they're not going to accept. I say they will, but I think other countries will accept also.
"So I don't think people should be going back to Gaza. I think that Gaza has been very unlucky for them," he said.
Trump's controversial proposal has received widespread condemnation, with many calling it "ethnic cleansing" and a "war crime."
Jordan and Egypt, along with other regional and European countries like the UK, France and Germany, strongly rejected Trump's relocation proposal. - BERNAMA-AA