US President Donald Trump on Sunday repeated his pledge that the US would take control of the Palestinian enclave amid mounting pressure to extend the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
New details and growing shock over emaciated hostages renewed pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to prolong a fragile Gaza ceasefire beyond the first phase.
Talks on the second phase of the ceasefire were due to start on February 3. An extension of the ceasefire meant to see more hostages released and a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
Israeli forces withdraw from Gaza corridor
However, both warring sides appear to have made little progress on the ceasefire. But, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from a Gaza corridor, the latest commitment to the truce, strengthened the hope for round two of the ceasefire.
Netanyahu sent a delegation to Qatar, a key mediator, but it included low-level officials, sparking speculation that it won’t lead to a breakthrough. Netanyahu, who returned after a US visit to meet with Trump, is expected to convene security Cabinet ministers on Tuesday.
Trump hardens its stand on Gaza Strip
Speaking on Sunday, Trump repeated his pledge to take control of the Gaza Strip. “I’m committed to buying and owning Gaza. As far as rebuilding it, we may give it to other states in the Middle East to build sections of it. Other people may do it through our auspices. But we’re committed to owning it, taking it, and making sure that Hamas doesn’t move back. There’s nothing to move back into. The place is a demolition site. The remainder will be demolished,” he told reporters onboard Air Force One as he travelled to the Super Bowl.
Palestinians would leave Gaza if…: Trump
Trump said Arab nations would agree to take in Palestinians after speaking with him and insisted Palestinians would leave Gaza if they had a choice.
“They don’t want to return to Gaza. If we could give them a home in a safer area — the only reason they’re talking about returning to Gaza is they don’t have an alternative. When they have an alternative, they don’t want to return to Gaza,” he added.
Trump also suggested he was losing patience with the deal after seeing the emaciated hostages released this week.
“I watched the hostages come back today and they looked like Holocaust survivors. They were in horrible condition. They were emaciated. It looked like many years ago, the Holocaust survivors, and I don’t know how much longer we can take that,” he said.
Israel has expressed openness to the idea of resettling Gaza’s population — ”a revolutionary, creative vision,” Netanyahu told his Cabinet on Sunday — while Hamas, the Palestinians and much of the world have rejected it.
Egypt said it will host an emergency Arab summit on February 27 to discuss the “new and dangerous developments”.
Saudi Arabia condemned Netanyahu’s recent comment that Palestinians could create their state there, saying it aimed to divert attention from crimes committed by “the Israeli occupation against our Palestinian brothers in Gaza, including the ethnic cleansing they are being subjected to.” Qatar called Netanyahu’s comment “provocative” and a blatant violation of international law.
(With AP inputs)
