Trump's Gaza plan: Relocation and $53 billion reconstruction
During a meeting on Tuesday with King Abdullah II of Jordan, President Donald Trump stated that he does not intend to "buy" the Gaza Strip but rather to "have" it, with plans to relocate some residents to Jordan.
- We're going to have Gaza. We don't have to buy. There's nothing to buy. We will have Gaza - Donald Trump declared at the beginning of the meeting with Abdullah II in the Oval Office of the White House.
Trump discusses taking over the Gaza Strip
Trump reiterated that his plan to annex the territory and displace nearly 2 million Palestinians from the Gaza Strip enjoys great support. He dismissed concerns about resident resistance, accusations of ethnic cleansing, or possible destabilization of the region.
- We're moving them to a beautiful location where they can have new homes, where they can live safely, where they can have doctors and medical and all of those things - said the President of the United States.
When asked for his opinion on these statements, King Abdullah of Jordan avoided providing a direct response, announcing instead his intention to present a different plan concerning the future of the Gaza Strip in collaboration with Egypt and other Arab countries soon. When questioned about the possibility of providing a "parcel of land" for Palestinians, he emphasized the need to prioritize his country’s own interests. However, he promised to accept 2,000 Palestinian children suffering from cancer and other diseases and announced plans to cooperate with other countries, including those in Europe, to care for additional children from Gaza.
Currently, millions of refugees from Palestine and their descendants reside in Jordan. According to "The New York Times," the acceptance of a wave of new refugees could destabilize the country and threaten the king's rule. Nevertheless, Trump expressed confidence that Jordan would provide a place for Gazan Palestinians to live and was 99 percent sure that Egypt would do the same, despite the rejection of his proposal by Egyptian authorities.
$53 billion needed for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip
Rebuilding and reconstructing the Gaza Strip, devastated by the prolonged conflict between Hamas and Israel, will require more than $53 billion, according to a United Nations report released on Tuesday. Over $20 billion will be needed in the first three years.
According to the report, which notes that "over 60 percent of the homes" have been destroyed since October 2023, approximately 30 percent of the required funds will be allocated to the housing sector, totaling $15.2 billion.
The remaining funds are necessary for trade and industry ($6.9 billion), health care ($6.9 billion), agriculture ($4.2 billion), social protection ($4.2 billion), transportation ($2.9 billion), water and sanitation infrastructure ($2.7 billion), and education ($2.6 billion).
The report highlights especially high costs for the environmental protection sector ($1.9 billion), due to the large amount of debris containing unexploded ordnance and the high costs associated with debris removal.
