Trump: 'US is committed to buying, owning Gaza'

The United States’ President Donald Trump has doubled down on his comments about occupying the Gaza Strip and expelling its Palestinian population, saying he is “committed to buying and owning” the Territory.Speaking to reporters as he flew on Air Force One to watch the Super Bowl at New Orleans on Sunday, President Trump stated that “I’m committed to buying and owning Gaza … we’re committed to owning it, taking it and making sure that Hamas doesn’t move back”.

Trump first announced his pledge to take over post-war Gaza last week during Israeli Prime Mminister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington, igniting worldwide outcry against and condemnation of the proposal.

“There’s nothing to move back into. The place is a demolition site,” the President said. “The remainder will be demolished … But we’ll make it into a very good site for future development by somebody.”

His comments yesterday seemingly further revealed his plans for the besieged Strip, saying that “as far as us rebuilding it, we may give it to other states in the Middle East to build sections of it. Other people may do it through our auspices.” Those states he was referring to are thought by many to likely be the wealthy Gulf Arab states.

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