President Donald Trump proposes relocating Gaza’s 2 million-plus Palestinians to other countries and transforming Gaza into the “Rivera of the Middle East” under U.S. ownership and control. Izzat al-Risheq, a senior member of Hamas’ political bureau, labels Trump’s statements as racist and a clear attempt to eliminate the Palestinian issue; he emphasizes that Palestinians are deeply rooted in their land and will not accept any plan aimed at removing them. Sami Abu Zuhri, another senior Hamas official, warns that such statements are a “recipe for chaos and regional tensions” and asserts that Gaza’s residents will not allow such plans to be implemented. Other Arab states, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt, reject Trump’s proposal out of hand. Israeli reaction to his idea for Gaza’s future are mixed, depending on current political outlooks and party identities. (source)
