Americans have taken to the streets in Washington, D.C., protesting President Donald Trump’s scheme to take "long-term ownership" of the Gaza Strip.
“Gaza Strip is not for sale,” the protesters shouted on the city’s streets on Wednesday.
Speaking at the White House on Tuesday alongside Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump had claimed that the United States would oversee clearing up of destroyed buildings, removing of unexploded ordnance, and “resettling” of Palestinians elsewhere.
"The US will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it too. We’ll own it," he had purported.
‘Deploying American troops to Gaza’
Trump’s announcement came after the Israeli regime failed to realize its objective of forcing Gaza’s entire population to leave for neighboring Egypt, despite taking the coastal sliver under a war of genocide for over 15 months, during which the regime killed way upwards of 61,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children.
Despite offering few details on how the scheme would be implemented, Trump suggested that displaced Palestinians could be sent to "other countries of interest with humanitarian hearts."
He also left open the possibility of deploying American troops in Gaza, stating, "If it’s necessary, we’ll do that."
‘New Riviera’
Trump predicted the war-ravaged Gaza Strip, home to more than two million Palestinians, could become “the Riviera” of the West Asia as he announced his plan to take control of it.
"The Riviera of the Middle East. This could be something that could be so magnificent," Trump said as he again voiced hopes that Palestinians could be removed from Gaza, and said the United States would redevelop the territory.
‘Recipe for chaos’
The so-called plan, which Trump described as a "long-term ownership position," was met with immediate condemnation from Palestinian groups.
The Gaza-based Palestinian resistance movement Hamas called it a "recipe for chaos and tension in the region" and vowed that "our people in the Gaza Strip will not allow these plans to pass."
The group’s denouncement came amid predictions that the proposal could escalate tensions in the region and spark new waves of resistance across the Palestinian territories and beyond.
Some regional states, including Saudi Arabia, likewise firmly rejected any attempt to displace Palestinians, citing the Palestinian nation’s demand for establishment of their own independent state.
Trump’s comments also drew criticism from various activists and experts. Omar Baddar, a political analyst, slammed the announcement, saying, "He’s essentially declaring the destruction of Palestinian society and the scattering of its people."
American congresswoman Rashida Tlaib called out Trump for "openly calling for ethnic cleansing."
International law experts and human rights organizations have, meanwhile, raised concerns over the legality of Trump's proposal, warning that forced displacement and foreign occupation of Gaza would violate numerous international treaties and conventions.
"This plan disregards the rights of the Palestinian people and sets a dangerous precedent for unilateral land grabs," said Abed Ayoub, executive director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), a US-based civil rights organization.
Netanyahu, however, praised Trump as "the greatest friend Israel has ever had" and suggested that the scheme could "change history."
The ICC-wanted Israeli official’s trip to the US has already conjured up strong denouncement on the part of various regional and international organizations, figures, and groups over war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Separately, Trump cast doubt on the stability of a ceasefire agreement between the Israeli regime and Hamas that is expected to end the genocide.
"The [Israeli] strikes could start tomorrow. There’s not a lot left to strike," he said amid Tel Aviv’s regular violations of the deal.
He also alleged that the “American-led plan” would lead to the war-wracked Palestinian territory’s “transformation.”
Critics, though, have argued that Trump's proposal could be intended to divert attention from ongoing controversies surrounding his administration, while US Senator Chris Murphy has called it a "reckless distraction from domestic issues."
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