Gaza has long been a powder keg. It exploded after Hamas fighters stormed southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and began killing and abducting people, sparking a crushing Israeli military operation that’s only recently stopped under a fragile ceasefire.

Trump’s proposal for the U.S. to take “ownership” over Gaza and displace Palestinians added to uncertainty over the fate of the enclave and its residents.

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump, proposing a major shift in Middle East policy, called for the U.S. to take over the Gaza Strip and relocate roughly two million Palestinians to neighboring Arab countries. His goal, he said, is to turn the war-ravaged enclave into the "Riviera of the Middle East."

Enclave's recent past has been marked by conflict, from Egyptian military rule to IDF takeover, the Oslo Accords to Hamas coup that ejected PA, the October 7 attack and subsequent war

President Donald Trump's plan for the United States to "take over" Gaza, permanently displacing Palestinians who live there and creating the "Riviera of the Middle East," has upset Arab nations and Western allies and would overturn decades of American policy in the region.

The US president later repeated elements of the proposal on social media, saying Gaza would be "turned over" to the US by Israel under his plan. The White House moved to clarify that the displacement of Palestinians would be temporary,

Aides to President Trump are seeking to tone down his proposal over the future of Gaza. That's after the US President suggested his country should take over and redevelop the coastal Palestinian territory,