Berlin, Germany (Weltexpress). Even before his return to the White House – on January 15, 2025 – Donald Trump had begun to present several controversial proposals regarding the future fate of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. This article chronologically traces the development of Trump’s increasingly illegal ideas.
“We will take it. We will keep it. We will value it [Gaza].”
This statement by US President Donald Trump was originally: “We’re going to take it. We’re going to hold it. We’re going to cherish it.” He had already made it on February 11, 2025, during a meeting with Jordan’s King Abdullah II in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. The statement was documented by reporters from Reuters, BBC News and The Guardian during a press conference in which Trump outlined his plans to take over the Gaza Strip.
The context was that Trump informed King Abdullah II of his intention to bring the Gaza Strip under US control and permanently resettle the Palestinian population in neighboring countries, including Jordan and Egypt. King Abdullah II rejected the plan in no uncertain terms during the meeting and emphasized Jordan’s opposition to the forced displacement of Palestinians.
US President Donald Trump’s policy toward the Palestinians in Gaza has caused global outrage since his return to the White House in early 2025. His repeated proposals to forcibly resettle the Palestinian population from the Gaza Strip have been condemned as a violation of international law, a war crime, and a crime against humanity. During the 20-month Israeli rampage of destruction against Gaza, according to consistent reports by the UN Relief and Works Agency and other internationally recognized organizations, at least 57,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, were killed and the overwhelming majority of the population was displaced multiple times. Israeli politicians have repeatedly called for the forced expulsion of Palestinians to neighboring countries or even third countries, or announced this as their ultimate goal, which has even been condemned as ethnic cleansing by Western human rights organizations.
Timeline – Trump’s dangerous fantasies about ethnic cleansing in Gaza
The following is a chronology of Trump’s criminal proposals for the forced expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza, published by investigative journalist Syma Mohammed on the Middle East Eye website on July 10, 2025, among other places: .
January 15, 2025: First announcement of a hostage exchange and ceasefire
Five days before his return to the White House, Trump announced an imminent hostage exchange on his Truth Social platform, saying: “WE HAVE A DEAL FOR THE HOSTAGES IN THE MIDDLE EAST. THEY WILL BE RELEASED SOON. THANK YOU!”
Shortly thereafter, he announced that a ceasefire agreement had been reached under the mediation of Steve Witkoff, the designated special envoy for the Middle East. Trump emphasized that this agreement had only been possible thanks to his “historic election victory” in November, which signaled to the world that his administration was committed to peace and would ensure the safety of Americans and their allies. He promised never to allow Gaza to become a “safe haven for terrorists” (meaning Hamas) again and to expand the Abraham Accords. “We have achieved so much without even being in the White House. Imagine what will happen when I return!” the narcissistic politician added, full of self-praise.
January 25-31, 2025: Call for the resettlement of Palestinians
Shortly after his inauguration on January 25, Trump first proposed resettling Palestinians from Gaza to Jordan and Egypt. “I want Egypt to take people, and I want Jordan to take people,” Trump said, mentioning a conversation with Jordan’s King Abdullah II. He described Gaza as a “demolition site” and suggested relocating the Palestinians to another place “where they can live in peace.” Trump repeated this plan on January 27, 30, and 31, expressing his expectation that Egypt and Jordan would agree, even though both countries rejected the proposal. As is well known, a US emperor does not recognize the “no” of a vassal.
February 4, 2025: Permanent expulsion and US takeover of Gaza
Before his first meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington on February 4, Trump proposed the permanent expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza. He presented himself as a benefactor of the Palestinians, arguing that the devastation caused by Israel’s military offensive left the people of Gaza with no choice but to leave the area. “I think they should get a nice, fresh, beautiful piece of land, and we’ll find people to make it happen,” Trump said. The plan was sharply criticized internationally, with Palestinians, Arab states, the United Nations, and human rights experts condemning it as “ethnic cleansing.”
On the same day, Trump went even further and proposed a US takeover of Gaza. In a press conference with Netanyahu, he said, “The US will take over the Gaza Strip […] We will own it and be responsible for removing all dangerous unexploded bombs and weapons.” He outlined a vision of transforming Gaza into a “Middle East Riviera” and called on wealthy neighboring countries with “humanitarian hearts” to bear the costs of rebuilding and housing the displaced Palestinians. When asked about the use of US troops, Trump said, “If it’s necessary, we’ll do it.” He added that “world people” and Palestinians could live in Gaza.
February 5–6, 2025: Partial backtracking by Trump’s advisers
After massive criticism, Trump’s advisers backtracked on February 5. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the relocation of Palestinians was only intended to be “temporary” while Gaza was rebuilt. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke of an “interim relocation” and made it clear that Trump had not promised to deploy US ground troops. On February 6, Trump posted on his media platform Truth Social that Gaza would be handed over to the US by Israel after the war and that Palestinians would be relocated “to safer and more beautiful communities with new, modern homes” without the need for US soldiers.
February 10, 2025: No right of return for Palestinians
In an interview with Fox News on February 10, Trump stated that Palestinians had no right to return to Gaza because they would be given “much better accommodations” outside the Strip. “I’m talking about building a permanent place for them,” he said, underscoring his “ ” plan for permanent resettlement .
February 11, 2025: Meeting with King Abdullah II.
During the aforementioned meeting with Jordan’s King Abdullah II in Washington, Trump reiterated his plan to “take” and “hold” Gaza. “We will have Gaza. There is no reason to buy. It is a war-torn area. We will take it, keep it, and cherish it,” he said. King Abdullah firmly rejected the plan. When asked whether Trump would threaten to withdraw support from Egypt and Jordan, which are dependent on US aid, he replied evasively: “I think we are beyond threats.”
February 26, 2025: Controversial AI video
On February 26, Trump shared an AI-generated video on Truth Social showing a transformed version of Gaza under US control. The clip, titled “Gaza 2025, What’s Next?”, sparked global outrage as it glorified the forced displacement of Palestinians.
April 7, 2025: Second meeting with Netanyahu
After the ceasefire broke down, Trump met with Netanyahu again on April 7. He returned to his vision of a “post-war exodus” of Palestinians, which was rejected by Arab states. “It’s an incredibly important piece of real estate,” Trump said of Gaza, emphasizing that a US presence as a “peacekeeping force” would be positive. He added that many countries supported his idea, but that other concepts were also being considered.
July 1, 2025: Announcement of a possible ceasefire
On July 1, Trump announced on Truth Social the possibility of a 60-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. “My representatives had a long and productive meeting with the Israelis on Gaza. Israel has agreed to the necessary conditions for a 60-day ceasefire,” he wrote. He praised the cooperation with Qatar and Egypt and called on Hamas to accept the offer, saying it “would not get any better.” Hamas signaled it would consider the proposal but demanded a permanent end to the war.
July 7, 2025: Third meeting with Netanyahu
At his third meeting with Netanyahu on July 7, Trump emphasized the support of neighboring countries in resettling the Palestinians. “We’ve had great cooperation from the surrounding countries,” he said. Netanyahu said Israel was working with the US to find countries willing to take in Palestinians. “If people want to stay, they can stay, but if they want to leave, they should be allowed to leave,” Netanyahu said, stressing that Israel’s security was always a priority. When asked about a two-state solution, Trump evaded the question and referred to Netanyahu, who pulled a rabbit out of the hat and outlined Palestinian sovereignty under Israeli security control.
International reactions and criticism
Trump’s proposals were widely rejected. Arab states, including Egypt and Jordan, strongly opposed the relocation of Palestinians. In March 2025, Arab leaders adopted an Egyptian reconstruction plan for Gaza worth US$53 billion that ruled out expulsion – a plan rejected by Trump and Israel.
Human rights organizations and the UN condemned Trump’s plans as “ethnic cleansing” and violations of international law. The Tony Blair Institute, founded by the former British prime minister who lied his country into a war of aggression against Iraq in 2003, has also developed a Trump-like plan that attempts to make the ethnic cleansing of Gaza palatable to the international audience with more appealing rhetoric.
Final remark
Donald Trump’s repeated proposals to forcibly expel Palestinians from Gaza and for the US to take over the territory have caused outrage around the world. His real estate business vision of turning Gaza into a “Middle East Riviera” while permanently resettling the Palestinian population is cynical in the extreme. It also contravenes international law and ignores the humanitarian consequences of a 20-month war that has left tens of thousands dead, hundreds of thousands injured, and massive destruction in its wake.
Despite partial backtracking by his advisers, Trump’s rhetoric remains consistently focused on a radical and criminal transformation of the Gaza Strip that disregards the human rights of Palestinians. The civilized international community, to which the US and the collective West can no longer count themselves as belonging, has taken a clear stand against these plans, while the West continues to block the search for a sustainable solution to the conflict.
