US President Donald Trump and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrive to hold a press conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC. AFP
In his Thursday post, Trump added that Israel would hand over Gaza to the US once the fighting ends.
He said Palestinians would be relocated to safer, more prosperous regions with modern housing and better living conditions. At the same time, the US would oversee the reconstruction of the territory decimated by Israeli airstrikes.
“They would actually have a chance to be happy, safe, and free,” Trump wrote.
The US, “working with great development teams from all over the World,” would then rebuild Gaza into “one of the greatest and most spectacular developments of its kind on Earth," he continued.
“No soldiers by the U.S. would be needed! Stability for the region would reign!!!”
Trump's earlier proposals on Tuesday sparked outrage when he suggested that the United States would “take over” Gaza, displace its Palestinian population, and turn the territory into the “Riviera of the Middle East.”
“The US will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it too,” Trump stated.
“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, level it out, create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs.”
On Thursday, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz instructed the army to prepare a plan for what he described as the "voluntary departure" of Gaza's Palestinian population.
“I have instructed the [army] to prepare a plan to enable voluntary departure for Gaza residents to any country willing to accept them,” Katz said in a statement.
He said the plan would include exit options via land crossings and special arrangements for departures by sea and air.
The proposal has also sparked widespread condemnation, with critics accusing it of attempting to “ethnically cleanse” the Palestinian population and erase their presence in Gaza.
The plan has drawn outrage from Palestinian leaders, regional governments, and international officials, who viewed it as a denial of Palestinian rights and self-determination.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas “strongly rejected” the plan, affirming that the “legitimate Palestinian rights are non-negotiable.”
Hamas also denounced it as a “racist” attempt to eliminate the Palestinian cause.
Saudi Arabia rejected the proposal outright. At the same time, Jordan’s King Abdullah, who is set to meet Trump at the White House next week, said he opposed any attempts to annex land or forcibly deport Palestinians.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs described Trump’s plan as part of Israel’s efforts to “completely wipe out the Palestinian people.”
The backlash came as Egypt, Qatar, and the US mediate talks between Israel and Hamas over a potential second-phase ceasefire agreement.
Arab states have firmly opposed any forced displacement of Palestinians, reaffirming that a two-state solution based on 4 June 1967 borders remains the only viable resolution.
On Wednesday, Egypt’s National Council for Human Rights urged the UN Security Council to consider Trump’s proposal a threat to international peace and security.
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