On Tuesday, Trump announced that “the United States will take over the Gaza Strip” by force if necessary. He suggested the military would flatten destroyed buildings and turn Gaza into the “Riviera of the Middle East.”  However, according to recent comments by the White House, the U.S. will not be funding the reconstruction of its newly acquired territory, should it be successful.

When asked whether he would send US troops into the enclave, Trump stated he would “do what is necessary.” The US leader added that Palestinians should be relocated to nearby states at the expense of “neighboring countries of great wealth.”

Donald Trump: The U.S. Will Take Over The Gaza Strip

“The United States is not going to pay for the rebuilding of Gaza,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told journalists in a press briefing on Wednesday, fielding questions about the US president’s proposal. “His administration is going to work with our partners in the region to reconstruct this region,” the spokesperson said, adding that Trump has not yet committed to sending US troops into Gaza.

So far, one of the few nations to offer acceptance of this idea has been Israel. Hamas has said that the Palestinian people would fight back if the U.S. military attempts a takeover.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Trump’s proposal, calling it “thinking outside the box with fresh ideas” and expressing optimism about its potential to change history. If thinking outside the box means adding more war to the already war-torn planet, then Netanyahu is correct. –SHTFPlan

Trump has also spoken to several leaders of Arab states and “has made it very clear” and “been very vocal that he expects our partners in the region, particularly Egypt and Jordan, to accept Palestinian refugees,” Leavitt said.

Jordan’s King Abdullah II firmly spoke out against any attempts to displace Palestinians or annex their land, according to a post the Jordanian royal court posted on X on Wednesday.