Resettlement plans

Trump does not want to finance the reconstruction of Gaza

People in the Gaza Strip(Bild: AFP/Bashar TALEB)

The US government does not want to finance the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. However, the White House will work with partners in the region, said Trump's spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday (see video above). US forces would not necessarily be stationed there.

"This does not mean that American taxpayers will fund these efforts," Leavitt said. As reported, US President Donald Trump had said on Tuesday that the US would take "long-term ownership" of the Gaza Strip. All Palestinians living there are to be resettled according to him, for example to Egypt or Jordan. The bombed coastal strip should be rebuilt as a "Riviera of the Middle East".

Rubio: Not a "hostile" offer
Trump had merely offered to "step in, remove the rubble, clean up the place from all the destruction (...)", said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Trump wanted to support the reconstruction of homes and businesses, and people could move back in later. 

The bombed-out Gaza Strip(Bild: AFP/Bashar TALEB)

Trump's move to forcibly relocate the Palestinians had triggered massive criticism worldwide. The UN, governments allied with the USA and numerous others sharply rejected the plans. "Any forced displacement of people is tantamount to ethnic cleansing," said UN Secretary-General António Guterres' spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, in New York.

Forced resettlement of Palestinians would be tantamount to expulsion and therefore a violation of international law.

Außenministerium in Wien

The Palestinian organization Hamas described the plan as "aggressive", saying it would "only add fuel to the fire". The Foreign Ministry in Vienna also spoke out: "The solution to the Middle East conflict must be in accordance with international law. Forced resettlement of Palestinians would be tantamount to expulsion and thus a violation of international law".