U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal to turn the war-torn Gaza Strip into the “Riviera of the Middle East” met condemnation Wednesday morning in the Arab world.
In an overnight statement, the Saudi Arabian foreign ministry said it had warned “former and current U.S. administrations” about the Palestinian people’s rights — and reiterated it would not establish diplomatic relations with Israel if certain conditions were breached.
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia also reaffirms its unequivocal rejection of any infringement on the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, whether through Israeli settlement policies, land annexation, or attempts to displace the Palestinian people from their land,” the ministry said.
Riyadh added that its position “is non-negotiable and not subject to compromises.”
Sami Abu Zuhri, an official from the Palestinian militant group Hamas, on Wednesday condemned Trump’s remarks as “ridiculous” and “absurd,” warning that they could destabilize the Middle East, Reuters reported. “Trump’s remarks about his desire to control Gaza are ridiculous and absurd, and any ideas of this kind are capable of igniting the region,” he said.
The Palestinian coastal enclave was ravaged by more than a year of all-out war as Israeli forces attempted to root out Hamas militants in revenge for their violent Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel. The Israeli assault left tens of thousands of people dead in Gaza and the strip in ruins, before a cease-fire agreement was reached last month, which included Hamas releasing Israeli hostages it had taken.
Trump unveiled his plan for Gaza during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington on Tuesday.
“The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it too. We will own it. And be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous, unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site,” said the U.S. president, adding that his plan will create economic development and jobs for people in the area.
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