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Experts say a proposal to move all Palestinians out of Gaza and remake it as a U.S. territory would be time-consuming, extraordinarily costly and probably a violation of international law.
- Feb. 5, 2025, 2:17 p.m. ET
President Trump’s brazen proposal to move all Palestinians out of Gaza and make it a U.S. territory sent shock waves around the world, where it was welcomed by Trump loyalists and members of Israel’s far right; rejected by American allies and adversaries alike; and criticized by experts as a breach of international law.
Here’s what we know about Mr. Trump’s idea for mass resettlement, and the significant obstacles it will face.
The proposal
Mr. Trump had floated the idea of Palestinians leaving Gaza multiple times since taking office last month. His suggestion that they could be moved to Egypt and Jordan was rejected last week by those countries, along with a broad group of Arab nations.
On Tuesday evening, the president went even further. Speaking alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel at the White House, Mr. Trump said the United States intends to seize control of Gaza, displace the Palestinian population living there and turn the devastated coastal enclave into “the Riviera of the Middle East.”
But he did not say how exactly he planned to do that — offering little detail on the logistics or extensive political maneuvering that would be required.
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