President Trump said Palestinians would relocate to a "much better" place and would not have the right to return to Gaza under his proposed reconstruction plan for the strip of land. "No, they will not have the right to return," US President Donald Trump said in an interview with Fox News on February 10, when host Bret Baier asked him "whether the Palestinians have the right to return to Gaza." "Because they will have a much better place to live. I'm talking about building a permanent settlement for them." According to Mr. Trump, it will take many years for Gaza to become a habitable land. The White House boss also believes that an agreement can be reached with Egypt and Jordan. "You know, we give them billions of dollars every year," Mr. Trump said.
President Trump recently caused controversy when he proposed the idea of the US taking over the Gaza Strip, resettling Palestinians to other countries and turning this strip of land into the "Middle Eastern Riviera". Riviera is a famous resort and tourist destination along the Mediterranean, stretching from France to Italy. President Trump is urging Egypt and Jordan to agree to accept Palestinians to "clean everything up" in Gaza. On February 10, the White House boss threatened to stop aid to the two countries if they refused to participate in the idea. Egypt, Jordan and other Arab countries warn that evacuating Palestinians risks causing instability in the region. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty met with US counterpart Marco Rubio in Washington on February 10, saying Arab countries support the Palestinians in their efforts to reject Mr. Trump's plan. Mr. Abdelatty emphasized the importance of accelerating Gaza reconstruction while the Palestinian people remain in the strip of land.
Gaza is a small strip of land, with an area of about 365 square kilometers, bordering Israel and Egypt, the other side facing the Mediterranean. This is one of two Palestinian territories. The remaining area is the West Bank, bordering Jordan, occupied by Israel. The Gaza Strip was severely devastated after the Israeli army launched a campaign to deal with Hamas, responding to the raid in southern Israel that caused large casualties on October 7, 2023. Hamas and Israel recently reached a ceasefire agreement, preparing to begin a second round of negotiations to end the fighting.