The UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, said Palestinians must be allowed to return to their homes in Gaza and rebuild, but ducked an invitation to criticise the US president, Donald Trump, when the Liberal Democrat leader, Ed Davey, asked whether Starmer would raise with Trump the concerns MPs have about his “dangerous statements”.
Trump’s proposal for the US to “take over” the Gaza Strip and resettle Palestinians in other countries has sparked global condemnation.
Iran has options to navigate US sanctions, Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian said on Wednesday, after US president Donald Trump restored his “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran.
There are no additional details on Pezeshkian’s comments on Reuters but we will update when more comes in.
UN high commissioner for human rights, Volker Türk, insisted on Wednesday that deporting people from occupied territory was strictly prohibited, after US president Donald Trump’s proposal for the United States to take over Gaza and resettle its people.
“The right to self-determination is a fundamental principle of international law and must be protected by all states, as the international court of justice recently underlined afresh. Any forcible transfer in or deportation of people from occupied territory is strictly prohibited,” Türk said in a statement.
UN human rights office says Trump's Gaza plan would breach international humanitarian law
Any forcible transfer in or deportation of people from occupied territory breaches international law, the UN human rights office (UNHR) said on Wednesday, in reference to Donald Trump’s claim that the US would take over the Gaza Strip and forcibly resettle the Palestinian population elsewhere.
“It is crucial that we move towards the next phase of the ceasefire, to release all hostages and arbitrarily detained prisoners, end the war and reconstruct Gaza, with full respect for international humanitarian law and international human rights law,” said the UNHR in a statement to Reuters.
“Any forcible transfer in or deportation of people from occupied territory is strictly prohibited,” it continued.
UK prime minister: Palestinians 'must be allowed home, allowed to rebuild' on way to two-state solution
Speaking in parliament in London, the British prime minister Keir Starmer has said Palestinians “must be allowed home.”
Starmer was responding to a question from Liberal Democrat Ed Davey, the leader of the third largest party in the House of Commons, and told lawmakers:
The most important issue on the ceasefire is, obviously that it’s sustained, and we see it through the phases. And that means that the remaining hostages come out, and the aid that’s desperately needed gets into Gaza at speed and at the volumes that are needed.
I have from the last few weeks two images fixed in my mind. The first is the image of Emily Damari reunited with her mother, which I found extremely moving.
The second was the image of thousands of Palestinians walking, literally walking through the rubble, to try to find their homes and their communities in Gaza.
They must be allowed home. They must be allowed to rebuild, and we should be with them in that rebuild, on the way to a two state solution.
Starmer did not mention US president Donald Trump by name, nor did he respond to Davey’s suggestion that he should reassure lawmakers that “our concerns on these dangerous statements from the president will be communicated to the White House directly and firmly.”
In a statement, Israel’s Nachala Movement has responded to Donald Trump’s comments by saying “we must hurry” to settle Gaza.
Reuters reports the far-right group posted to social media saying “We must hurry and establish settlements throughout the Gaza Strip. No part of the land of Israel should be left without Jewish settlement. If an area remains desolate, it may be captured by enemies.”
Israeli settler leader Daniella Weiss has previously stated that thousands of Jewish settlers are ready to move to Gaza.
Donald Trump has called for a “verified peace agreement” with Iran that would allow the country “peacefully grow and prosper”.
“I want Iran to be a great and successful Country, but one that cannot have a Nuclear Weapon,” he said on his Truth Social platform.
“Reports that the United States, working in conjunction with Israel, is going to blow Iran into smithereens, ARE GREATLY EXAGGERATED.”
Trump continued: “I would much prefer a Verified Nuclear Peace Agreement, which will let Iran peacefully grow and prosper.
“We should start working on it immediately, and have a big Middle East Celebration when it is signed and completed. God Bless the Middle East!”
During his first term, Trump withdrew the US from the Iran nuclear deal, which had been agreed with Iran by the US, the UK, France, China, Russia, and the EU.
The deal limited Iran’s nuclear programme in return for the lifting of sanctions, but faced widespread opposition on the American right.
The UN’s high commissioner for refugees, Filippo Grandi, has told AFP that Donald Trump’s comments proposing the US “take over” Gaza were “surprising”.
“It’s something very surprising, but we have to see what it means in concrete terms,” Grandi said in Brussels, adding that it was difficult to comment on such a “sensitive issue”.
Trump said the US would “take over” Gaza and “own it”, effectively publicly endorsing the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians after Israel has spent months bombing the densely populated territory in a military campaign which has killed tens of thousands, and forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes.
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John Swinney, Scotland’s first minister, has condemned President Trump’s plans for Gaza as “unacceptable and dangerous”, saying there “must be no ethnic cleansing”.
In a post on Bluesky he said:
After months of collective punishment and the death of over 40,000 in Gaza, any suggestion Palestinians should be removed from their home is unacceptable and dangerous.
There must be no ethnic cleansing.
Only a proper two state solution will bring lasting peace.”
And Humza Yousaf, Scotland’s former first minister, whose parents-in-law were trapped in Gaza for a number of weeks in 2023 after the 7 October Hamas massacre tiggered war, has also described President Trump’s plan as “ethnic cleansing”.
In a post on social media commenting on what Trump said during his White House press conference, Yousaf said:
Why is it a living hell? Who bombed it, killing tens of thousands of people, including children, and reduced Gaza to rubble?
Also, what Trump calls “permanent resettlement” is what the rest of the world should call ethnic cleansing.
Gaza belongs to the people of Gaza. Period.”
German foreign minister says Gaza expulsion would be unacceptable
German foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, said on Wednesday that the Gaza Strip belongs to Palestinians, and their expulsion would be unacceptable and contrary to international law, reports Reuters.
“The civilian population of Gaza must not be expelled and Gaza must not be permanently occupied or repopulated,” Baerbock said in a statement. “It is clear that Gaza – like the West Bank and East Jerusalem – belongs to the Palestinians. They form the basis for a future Palestinian state.”
“It would also lead to new suffering and new hatred,” said Baerbock in a statement, adding: “There must be no solution over the heads of the Palestinians.”
Hamas says Trump plan to take over Gaza will pour 'oil on the fire'
Hamas on Wednesday condemned a proposal by US president Donald Trump to “take over” and “own” Gaza, saying it will fan the flames of Middle East violence.
Hamas said in a statement that the proposal “aiming for the United States to occupy the Gaza Strip” was “aggressive to our people and cause, won’t serve stability in the region and will only put oil on the fire”.
UK's Lammy says need to ensure future for Palestinians in their homeland
The UK’s foreign minister, David Lammy, said on Wednesday it should be ensured that Palestinians have a future in their homeland, a day after US president Donald Trump proposed resettling Palestinians and taking over Gaza to develop it.
“We’ve always been clear in our belief that we must see two states. We must see Palestinians live and prosper in their homelands in Gaza and the West Bank,” he told a news conference during a trip to Kyiv.
Commenting on Donald Trump’s plans for Gaza and the Middle East, Dr Sanam Vakil, director of the Middle East and north Africa programme at Chatham House, shared the following analysis:
President Trump is perhaps trying to achieve a few objectives in his provocative comments on Gaza displacement. Firstly, he could be trying to disrupt conventional thinking on a longstanding conflict that has yet to be resolved or produce viable solutions.
He equally wants to show continued commitment to Israel to placate supporters and high-level donors in the United States and shore up Netanyahu’s fragile political balance of power to help the prime minister engage in phase two ceasefire negotiations.
More broadly, this is also part of his extreme deal-making strategy that will lay the ground for broader Israeli-Saudi normalisation talks. He could be using this to pave the way to promote Saudi normalisation in exchange for no annexation.
Obviously many Palestinians and Arab states are appalled by this proposition that contravenes international law. This will likely lead to greater multilateral unity between them as was evidenced by their collective statement over the weekend.
A more immediate consequence in reaction could see Hamas delay or slow down the release of further hostages.”
The leader of the UK’s Liberal Democrats party, Ed Davey, said on Wednesday that US president Donald Trump’s comments on Gaza “risk having the effect of a bull in a china shop”.
In a post on X, Davey wrote:
When we desperately need a fragile truce to hold, Trump’s ramblings on Gaza risk having the effect of a bull in a china shop.
The UK needs to make clear that these proposals must be rejected, and that we support international law and a two state solution based on 1967 borders.”
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Aragchi, responded to US president Donald Trump’s decision to reimpose maximum economic sanctions on Iran by saying maximum pressure was a failed experiment, and trying it again will lead to another failure.
But he added:
If Trump’s main issue is that Iran does not pursue nuclear weapons, that is achievable and there is no problem.”
Araqchi said:
Iran’s positions are clear, it is a member of the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty, and there is also a fatwa from the leadership that has clarified the task for us.”
The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has long argued with US presidents that Iran is bent on covertly building a nuclear weapon. Iran does not disguise it has built up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium way beyond what was permitted under the 2015 nuclear deal, bit says it did so in response to Trump pulling out of that deal in 2018.
Some Iranians also seized on Trump’s statement that he was willing to talk to Iran’s leaders about its nuclear program, and his admission: “There are many people at the top ranks of Iran that do not want to have a nuclear weapon.” Trump added he did not care if he called the Iranians to arrange talks or the Iranians rang him.
His suggestion that Iran does not have monolithic politics leaves space for negotiations about a new nuclear deal to replace the one signed in 2015, and Trump withdrew the US from in 2018. Trump portrayed himself as a man that had signed the presidential memorandum against Iran reluctantly, adding he hoped the measures would never need to be used. He said at the signing ceremony:
So this is one that I am torn about. I am signing this, but I am unhappy to do it.”
Iranian officials argued that the US attempt to weaken Iran’s already heavily sanctioned economy would be hard to achieve since the bulk of Iranian revenue comes through the export of oil to China, often via intermediaries. The imposition of extra sanctions was seen as a bargaining chip ahead of negotiations on a nuclear deal akin to the imposition of tariffs on other countries.
Trump also said he has left posthumous instructions that Iran was to be totally obliterated if they assassinated a US president or anyone close to him. In his remarks in the Oval Office, overshadowed by his plan to annex Gaza, he also said the 7 October attack on Israel by Hamas would not have happened if the previous administration had continued to apply for economic pressure on Iran, suggesting Iran had been able to gather revenues to send to Hamas to mount the attack on Israel.
The issue of how Iran approaches any negotiations with the US over what it insists is a civil nuclear programme is politically explosive inside Iran with reports only this week denied by the foreign ministry that Ali Shamkani, the head of the national security commission, would lead as Iran’s representative at any talks.
So far the Iranian foreign ministry has led in the two rounds of talks in Geneva with the three European signatories to the 2015 nuclear deal: France, Germany and the UK. Europe has warned that it will move to reapply UN sanctions in September if a new deal is not agreed by then to replace the 2015 deal that expires this year.
Nothing in what Trump said gave any clue as to the kind of assurances the US would need to lift sanctions, and to be assured that Iran has no intent to build a nuclear bomb. He did not indicate that the US would be seeking a wider deal with Iran that seeks to constrain its support for proxy forces in the region
Iran has slashed back the access UN weapons inspectors have to Iran’s nuclear sites. Both the UN inspectorate, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the European countries have said it is possible Iran has acquired irreversible knowledge on how to build nuclear weapons.
Ismail Baghaei, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson, said:
The claim that Iran is trying to build nuclear weapons is a big lie that has been proven wrong many times, and if someone is looking for certainty about such an issue, it is easily obtainable.”
He added that unlike Israel “which is not a member of any international treaty banning weapons of mass destruction and explicitly threatened to use nuclear weapons in the war against the people of Gaza, the Islamic Republic of Iran is a member of the non-proliferation treaty and Iran’s nuclear programme is under the full supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency in accordance with safeguards agreements”.
Basically, the Islamic Republic of Iran considers weapons of mass destruction to be haram for solid Islamic and humanitarian reasons.
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Trump’s Gaza plan 'unacceptable', says Turkish foreign minister
Turkey’s top diplomat on Wednesday criticised Donald Trump’s proposal for the United States to take over the Gaza Strip and resettle Palestinians in other countries.
“This is an unacceptable issue,” Turkish foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, told the official news agency Anadolu in broadcast comments. He said relocating Palestinians from Gaza was something “neither we nor the region can accept”.
“It is wrong to even bring it up for discussion,” he added, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has named Hezbollah leader, Naim Qassem, as his “representative” in Lebanon, Iranian media reported on Wednesday, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
“The leader of the revolution in a decree introduced Sheikh Naim Qassem, secretary general of Hezbollah, as his representative in Lebanon,” Tasnim news agency said. Tasnim carried a copy of the official decree which said Qassem will represent Khamenei in handling “non-litigious matters” and “managing religious affairs” in Lebanon.
The news agency recalled that Qassem’s predecessor, Hassan Nasrallah – who was killed in an Israeli airstrike on south Beirut on 27 September – had held the same title.
Hezbollah is part of the “axis of resistance”, an alliance of Iran-backed armed groups opposed to Israel and its US ally.
Khamenei, who has the final say in all matters of state in Iran, has representatives in all of Iran’s provinces with a mandate to collect religious funds and perform other duties, reports AFP.
Qassem was named Hezbollah leader in October after heir apparent Hashem Safieddine was killed in an Israeli strike shortly after Nasrallah’s death.
Hezbollah is to hold a public funeral for both Nasrallah and Safieddine on 23 February. It had put off public commemorations for safety reasons until after a fragile ceasefire with Israel took hold on 27 November.
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PLO rejects 'all calls for the displacement of Palestinians from their homeland'
The Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) said on Wednesday that it rejected any plan involving the displacement of Palestinians, after US president Donald Trump suggested Palestinians in Gaza move to Egypt or Jordan and the US “take control” of the territory.
Secretary general, Hussein al-Sheikh, said the PLO “affirms its rejection of all calls for the displacement of the Palestinian people from their homeland” and renews its support for a two-state solution, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Here are some of the latest images on the newswires today:
Iran says US 'maximum pressure' will fail as it did in Trump first term
Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said on Wednesday that US president Donald Trump’s reimposition of a policy of “maximum pressure” against Iran will end in “failure” as it did during his first term, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP).
“I believe that maximum pressure is a failed experiment and trying it again will turn into another failure,” Araghchi told reporters after a cabinet meeting, adding that Tehran was not pursuing nuclear weapons.
China says it opposes 'forced transfer' of Palestinians after Trump plan
China on Wednesday said it was opposed to the “forced transfer” of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip after US president Donald Trump said he planned to “take control” of the territory.
“China has always maintained that Palestinian rule over Palestinians is the basic principle of the postwar governance of Gaza, and we are opposed to the forced transfer of the residents of Gaza,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, Lin Jian, said when asked about Trump’s plan at a regular press conference, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Hamas says 'racist' Trump Gaza plan aims to 'eliminate Palestinian cause'
Hamas on Wednesday rejected US president Donald Trump’s plan to “take control” of the Gaza Strip, calling it “racist” and aimed at eliminating the Palestinian cause.
“The American racist stance aligns with the Israeli extreme right’s position in displacing our people and eliminating our cause,” Hamas spokesperson, Abdel Latif al-Qanou, said in a statement, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Reuters has some more detail on the comments by Iranian government spokesperson, Fatemeh Mohajerani, which we reported on earlier.
“Our foreign policy has always been driven by the following principles: dignity for our country and people, wisdom and interest,” Mohajerani said during a press conference, when asked to react to Donald Trump’s willingness to hold talks with his Iranian counterpart.
She added: “Wisdom means looking behind the scenes and having correct understanding of them.”
On Tuesday, Trump restored his “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran that included efforts to drive its oil exports down to zero in order to stop Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. As he signed the presidential memorandum, Trump described it as tough and said he was torn on whether to make the move.
He added he was open to a deal with Iran and expressed a willingness to talk to Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian.
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Far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, who has threatened to quit the government if war does not resume in Gaza, has also thanked Donald Trump in a post on X.
Far-right politician Itamar Ben Gvir, who resigned from the Israeli government to protest against the Gaza ceasefire deal, has giving US president Donald Trump’s plan his support.
In a statement, he said:
President Trump says very important things: The only solution to Gaza is to encourage the migration of Gazans. When I said this time and again during the war that this was the solution to Gaza, they mocked me.
Now it is clear: this is the only solution to the Gaza problem – this is the strategy for the “day after”. I call on the prime minister to announce the adoption of the plan as soon as possible and to begin immediate practical progress.”
Iran’s foreign policy is driven by the principles of “dignity … wisdom and interest”, government spokesperson, Fatemeh Mohajerani, said on Wednesday, in response to US president Donald Trump saying that Washington would contact Tehran.
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Interim summary
If you are just tuning into today’s developments and Trump’s extraordinary remarks about the US setting its sights on Gaza, here is what you need to know to quickly bring you up to speed.
Trump has declared that the US will ‘take over’ the Gaza Strip, and that he envisioned a “long-term” US ownership of the territory after all Palestinians were moved elsewhere. Gaza, he said, could be transformed into the ‘Riviera of the Middle East’. The US president did not explain how and under what authority the US could assume control of Gaza. “We will own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site,” he said. He said the US would “level” destroyed buildings and “create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area.”
The Saudi government, in a statement, stressed its rejection of any attempt to displace Palestinians from their land and said it would not establish relations with Israel without establishment of a Palestinian state. Meanwhile Hamas condemned Trump’s calls for Palestinians in Gaza to leave as “expulsion from their land”. One Hamas figure described the remarks as ‘absurd’ and ‘ridiculous’, while the Palestinian envoy to the United Nations said that world leaders and people should respect Palestinians’ desire to remain in Gaza.
Several Democrats slammed Trump’s plan with Democratic senator Chris Murphy saying of Trump: “He’s totally lost it.” Democratic representative Jake Auchincloss described the proposal as “reckless and unreasonable” and called for an examination of Trump’s motives, which he said often contained a “nepotistic, self-serving connection”.
Some Republicans have also derided the proposal. Justin Amash, a former Republican member of Congress whose father was expelled from his home by Israeli forces in 1948, was appalled. “If the United States deploys troops to forcibly remove Muslims and Christians – like my cousins – from Gaza, then not only will the US be mired in another reckless occupation but it will also be guilty of the crime of ethnic cleansing. No American of good conscience should stand for this.”
The US president called Gaza a “symbol of death and destruction” and that the only reason people want to go back there is because they have nowhere else to go. The 1.8 million Palestinians living in Gaza should move to neighbouring countries with “humanitarian hearts” and “great wealth”, Trump said. Earlier he had called for Jordan, Egypt and other Arab states to take in Palestinians. He said they could be split up across a number of separate sites. Forced displacement of the population would probably be a violation of international law and would be fiercely opposed not only in the region but also by Washington’s western allies. Some human rights advocates liken the idea to ethnic cleansing.
He went on to say that Gaza could become “the Riviera of the Middle East” where “the world’s people” could live there, echoing the previous sentiments of his son-in-law Jared Kushner, who said Gaza had very valuable “waterfront property”.
Trump gave a vague answer when asked a question on whether he supported a two-state solution. Asked if his view that Palestinians should be relocated from Gaza was a sign that he was against the two-state policy that has been the foreign policy approach of the United States for decades, Trump said no. “It doesn’t mean anything about a two-state or one state or any other state. It means that we want to have, we want to give people a chance at life,” he said. “They have never had a chance at life because the Gaza Strip has been a hellhole for people living there. It’s been horrible.”
Trump claimed high-level support among unnamed leaders he had spoken to. “This is not a decision made lightly,” he said, adding that “everybody I’ve spoken to loves the idea of the United States owning that piece of land.” He said the move would bring “great stability to that part of the Middle East”.
Trump did not rule out sending US troops to secure Gaza. “As far as Gaza is concerned, we’ll do what is necessary. If it’s necessary, we’ll do that,” he said. On Trump’s idea of taking over Gaza, Netanyahu said the US president “sees a different future for Gaza”, adding: “I think it’s something that could change history.”
Trump said he would probably announce a position on Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank in the next month. “We haven’t been taking the position on it yet,” he said. Trump added that he planned to visit the Gaza Strip, Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Netanyahu described Trump as “the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House”. The Israeli leader said “we have to finish the job in Gaza”, and said “Israel will end the war by winning the war.” Netanyahu praised Trump for “thinking outside the box with fresh ideas” and “showing willingness to puncture conventional thinking”.
Welcome to Trumpworld, a political sketch
The Guardian’s David Smith has put together this sketch of the mood in the White House today.
“The venerable East Room, where Abraham Lincoln lay in state and Pablo Casals played cello, had turned into a mosh pit. Sweaty reporters, photographers and camera crews were crammed elbow to elbow. The Guardian shoehorned its way into a corner where a panel had fallen off the wall. Never used to happened in Joe Biden’s day.
The president began by boasting about how he got a “beautiful” US embassy built in Jerusalem, ranting about his predecessor and giving a shout out to his staff. So far, so Trump. But then things turned weird. Very weird.”
Read his first-person account of the day below:
A better life 'not necessarily tied to the physical space' says US Middle East envoy
US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff tells Fox News that Trump’s Gaza plans would give Palestinians “more hope” for a better future.
Speaking to host Sean Hannity, Witkoff said Gaza would probably be “inhabitable” for the next 10-15 years.
“Everybody wants to see peace in the region... A better life is not necessarily tied to the physical space that you’re in today. A better life is about better opportunity, better financial conditions, better aspirations for you and your family.
“That doesn’t occur because you get to pitch a tent in the Gaza Strip and you’re surrounded by 30,000 munitions that could go off at any moment. It’s a dangerous place to live today and the president is saying, ‘let’s make it better for these people.’”
Israel's former national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir hails Trump's plan
“Donald, this looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship,” the Israeli far-right politician wrote on X after Trump’s shock remarks.
Trump’s comments on Tuesday were not the first time he has suggested turning the home of 1.8 million Palestinians into a business opportunity for developers.
They echo comments he made during his presidential campaign, and that is his son in law and former White House adviser, Jared Kushner, made in March last year.
Kushner praised the “very valuable” potential of Gaza’s “waterfront property” and suggested Israel should remove civilians while it “cleans up” the strip. The Guardian’s Patrick Wintour reported the comments on 19 March 2024.
Trump repeated the sentiments while campaigning in late 2024. On 7 October 2024, the one-year anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel, Trump told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt, “They’d have, there was no ocean as far as that was concerned. They never took advantage of it. You know, as a developer, it could be the most beautiful place – the weather, the water, the whole thing, the climate.”
Hewitt had asked Trump if Gaza “could be Monaco” and Trump said it could be “better than Monaco”.
Bernie Sanders warned undecided voters in October, saying, “Trump has said Netanyahu is doing a good job and has said Biden is ‘holding him back.’ He has suggested that the Gaza Strip would make excellent beachfront property for development. And it is no wonder than Netanyahu prefers to have Donald Trump in office.”
Kushner, a former property dealer who is married to Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka, made his comments in an interview at Harvard University on 15 February 2024.
Kushner said at the time that he thought Israel should move civilians from Gaza to the Negev desert in southern Israel. He said that if he were in charge of Israel his number one priority would be getting civilians out of the southern city of Rafah, and that “with diplomacy” it could be possible to get them into Egypt.
“But in addition to that, I would just bulldoze something in the Negev, I would try to move people in there,” he said. “I think that’s a better option, so you can go in and finish the job.”
He reiterated the point a little later, saying: “I do think right now opening up the Negev, creating a secure area there, moving the civilians out, and then going in and finishing the job would be the right move.”
Saudi Arabia said it would not establish ties with Israel without the creation of a Palestinian state
Saudi Arabia said it would not establish ties with Israel without the creation of a Palestinian state, contradicting President Donald Trump’s claim that Riyadh was not demanding a Palestinian homeland when he said the US wants to take over the Gaza Strip.
Saudi Arabia rejects any attempts to displace the Palestinians from their land, Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday, adding that its stance towards the Palestinians is not negotiable.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has affirmed the kingdom’s position in ‘a clear and explicit manner’ that does not allow for any interpretation under any circumstances, the statement said.
Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese reiterates nation's position
Australian prime minister, Anthony Albanese, says his government continues to support a two-state solution in the Middle East, “where both Israelis and Palestinians could live in peace and security.”
“We’ve supported a ceasefire, we’ve supported hostages being released and we’ve supported aid getting into Gaza,” he told reporters Wednesday in Canberra when asked about Trump’s remarks. “That is consistent with what Australia governments have always done, which is to provide support.”
Albanese did not directly respond to reporters’ questions about how he would characterise Trump’s Gaza plan.
“I’m not going to have a running commentary on statements by the president of the United States,” he said. “I’ve made that very clear.”
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Hamas official describes Trump's Gaza remarks as 'absurb'
Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said on Wednesday that US President Donald Trump’s remarks about taking over the Gaza Strip were ‘ridiculous’ and ‘absurd’.
“Trump’s remarks about his desire to control Gaza are ridiculous and absurd, and any ideas of this kind are capable of igniting the region,” Abu Zuhri told Reuters.
The state of Gaza today
In the first phase of the ceasefire, Palestinians in Gaza have been able to return home in recent weeks, many to buildings and homes now in ruins.
A UN damage assessment released last month showed that clearing more than 50 million tonnes of rubble left in the aftermath of Israel’s bombardment could take 21 years and cost up to $1.2 billion, Reuters reports.
The debris is believed to be contaminated with asbestos, with some refugee camps struck during the war known to have been built with the material. The rubble also likely holds human remains. The Palestinian health ministry estimates that 10,000 bodies are missing under the debris.
A United Nations Development Programme official said in January that development in Gaza has been set back by 69 years as a result of the conflict.
How long would it take to rebuild Gaza?
Rebuilding Gaza’s shattered homes will take at least until 2040, but could drag on for many decades, according to a UN report released last year.
Two-thirds of Gaza’s pre-war structures - over 170,000 buildings - have been damaged or flattened, according to UN satellite data (UNOSAT) in December. That amounts to around 69% of the total structures in the Gaza Strip.
What is the extent of infrastructure damage?
The estimated damage to infrastructure totalled $18.5 billion as of end-January 2024, affecting residential buildings, commerce, industry, and essential services such as education, health, and energy, a UN-World Bank report said. An update by the UN humanitarian office in January showed that less than a quarter of the pre-war water supplies were available, while at least 68% of the road network has been damaged.
Palestinian data shows that the conflict has led to the destruction of over 200 government facilities, 136 schools and universities, 823 mosques and three churches. Many hospitals have been damaged during the conflict, with only 17 out of 36 units partially functional as of January, the UN humanitarian office’s report showed.
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Trump offered almost no specifics on his extraordinary proposal to “take ownership” of Gaza, and dodged questions on the legality of the US to carry out that plan.
Prior to his meeting with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, Amnesty international criticised the US leader on another matter of international law.
Amnesty said the US was “showing contempt for international justice” by failing to arrest Netanyahu, despite the international criminal court issuing a warrant for his arrest in November last year.
Netanyahu is wanted by the ICC to face charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
In a series of posts on X, Amnesty wrote:
“By welcoming Israeli PM Netanyahu, wanted by the ICC to face charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, the United States is showing contempt for international justice.
“Complying with ICC arrest warrants & pursuing accountability in domestic courts is crucial to bring to justice those responsible for Israel’s genocide in Gaza and the continued dispossession and oppression of Palestinians under Israel’s unlawful occupation and system of apartheid.”
It’s only weeks into US president Donald Trump’s second term but his Gaza proposal is not the first time Trump has issued off-piste and expansionist declarations.
As the Guardian’s David Smith writes, Trump previously threatened Greenland and Panama and suggested that Canada should become the 51st state. Gaza is the latest on his list.
Read his full report on today’s events below:
'Make Gaza beautiful again,' says US secretary of state Marco Rubio
“Gaza MUST BE FREE from Hamas,” Rubio wrote in a post on X, “As @POTUS shared today, the United States stands ready to lead and Make Gaza Beautiful Again. Our pursuit is one of lasting peace in the region for all people.”
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Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib has joined a chorus of criticism from US Democrats of Trump’s plan to resettle Palestinians outside of Gaza, likening the proposal to “ethnic cleansing”.
“This president is openly calling for ethnic cleansing while sitting next to a genocidal war criminal,” Tlaib, said in a post on X.
“He’s perfectly fine cutting off working Americans from federal funds while the funding to the Israeli government continues flowing.”
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Protests outside the White House
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered outside the White House as US president Donald Trump met with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The demonstrations occurred as Trump delivered his shock proposal to “take ownership” of Gaza, suggesting it had the potential to become the “Riviera of the Middle East.”
Among those protesting were anti-Zionist orthodox Jews.
Gaza will 'probably be uninhabitable for 10-15 years', says US Middle East envoy
US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff previously told Axios that Gaza will probably be uninhabitable for 10-15 years.
“What was inescapable is that there is almost nothing left of Gaza,” Witkoff told Axios after returning from his recent trip to the Middle East.
“People are moving north to get back to their homes and see what happened and turn around and leave ... there is no water and no electricity. It is stunning just how much damage occurred there,” he said.
Witkoff, a real estate developer, described what he saw from a helicopter flight over Gaza.
“There has been this perception we can get to a solid plan for Gaza in five years,” he told Axios, “But its impossible. This is a 10 to 15 year rebuilding plan,” he said.
Updated
Opening summary
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of developments in the Middle East after US president Donald Trump outlined an extraordinary proposal for the US to take “ownership” of Gaza.
In a joint press conference, Trump and Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, addressed reporters at the White House, where the US president announced his intention to take over the Gaza Strip, move Palestinians to neighbouring countries and redevelop the territory for occupation by “the world’s people”.
If you are just catching up with the latest, here is what you need to know:
Trump said the US will “take over” and “own” the Gaza Strip. The US president said he envisioned a “long-term” US ownership of the territory after all Palestinians were moved elsewhere. He did not explain how and under what authority the US can take over the land of Gaza. “We will own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site,” he said. He said the US would “level” destroyed buildings and “create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area.”
The Saudi government, in a statement, stressed its rejection of any attempt to displace Palestinians from their land and said it would not establish relations with Israel without establishment of a Palestinian state. Meanwhile Hamas condemned Trump’s calls for Palestinians in Gaza to leave as “expulsion from their land”. The Palestinian envoy to the United Nations said that world leaders and people should respect Palestinians’ desire to remain in Gaza.
Several Democrats slammed Trump’s plan with Democratic senator Chris Murphy saying of Trump: “He’s totally lost it.” “A US invasion of Gaza would lead to the slaughter of thousands of US troops and decades of war in the Middle East. It’s like a bad, sick joke.” Democratic representative Jake Auchincloss described the proposal as “reckless and unreasonable” and called for an examination of Trump’s motives, which he said often contained a “nepotistic, self-serving connection”.
Some Republicans have derided the proposal. Justin Amash, a former Republican member of Congress whose father was expelled from his home by Israeli forces in 1948, was appalled. “If the United States deploys troops to forcibly remove Muslims and Christians – like my cousins – from Gaza, then not only will the US be mired in another reckless occupation but it will also be guilty of the crime of ethnic cleansing. No American of good conscience should stand for this.”
The US president called Gaza a “symbol of death and destruction” and that the only reason people want to go back there is because they have nowhere else to go. The 1.8 million Palestinians living in Gaza should move to neighbouring countries with “humanitarian hearts” and “great wealth”, Trump said. Earlier he had called for Jordan, Egypt and other Arab states to take in Palestinians. He said they could be split up across a number of separate sites. Forced displacement of the population would probably be a violation of international law and would be fiercely opposed not only in the region but also by Washington’s western allies. Some human rights advocates liken the idea to ethnic cleansing.
He went on to say that Gaza could become “the Riviera of the Middle East” where “the world’s people” could live there, echoing the previous sentiments of his son-in-law Jared Kushner, who said Gaza had very valuable “waterfront property”.
Trump gave a vague answer when asked a question on whether he supported a two-state solution. Asked if his view that Palestinians should be relocated from Gaza was a sign that he was against the two-state policy that has been the foreign policy approach of the United States for decades, Trump said no. “It doesn’t mean anything about a two-state or one state or any other state. It means that we want to have, we want to give people a chance at life,” he said. “They have never had a chance at life because the Gaza Strip has been a hellhole for people living there. It’s been horrible.”
Trump claimed high-level support among unnamed leaders he had spoken to. “This is not a decision made lightly,” he said, adding that “everybody I’ve spoken to loves the idea of the United States owning that piece of land.” He said the move would bring “great stability to that part of the Middle East”.
Trump did not rule out sending US troops to secure Gaza. “As far as Gaza is concerned, we’ll do what is necessary. If it’s necessary, we’ll do that,” he said. On Trump’s idea of taking over Gaza, Netanyahu said the US president “sees a different future for Gaza”, adding: “I think it’s something that could change history.”
Trump said he would probably announce a position on Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank in the next month. “We haven’t been taking the position on it yet,” he said. Trump added that he planned to visit the Gaza Strip, Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Netanyahu described Trump as “the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House”. The Israeli leader said “we have to finish the job in Gaza”, and said “Israel will end the war by winning the war.” Netanyahu praised Trump for “thinking outside the box with fresh ideas” and “showing willingness to puncture conventional thinking”.
