Trump's Gaza takeover plan remarks could threaten stability of the Middle East: Analysts
On Wednesday, Trump’s top officials downplayed expectations and dialed back elements of his proposal for Gaza after facing global condemnation.
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the East Room at the White House in Washington, U.S., February 4, 2025. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File Photo
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United States President Donald Trump's brazen comments to remove Palestinians from Gaza and launch a US takeover of the war-torn enclave could hurt the prospects of regional stability, said observers.
His surprise proposal on Tuesday (Feb 4) has been rejected by countries in the region such as Jordan and Egypt, while the United Nations has warned against “ethnic cleansing” in Gaza – home to 2.3 million Palestinians.
Trump's idea comes amid ongoing mediated negotiations between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas over the second phase of a ceasefire deal.
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“Whether Trump will be able to actually implement the policy remains to be seen,” said Nader Hashemi, associate professor of Middle East and Islamic politics at Georgetown University’s Edmund A Walsh School of Foreign Service.
“I'm sceptical because the US can't unilaterally undertake this mass expulsion plan because it's dependent on neighbouring Arab states accepting the Palestinians from Gaza,” he said, adding that he does not see how Americans would back another military invasion.
“So, I think this is very much wishful thinking on the part of Donald Trump,” Hashemi told CNA’s Asia First.
“These are very dangerous times, very difficult times, especially for the people of Gaza. And I think (Trump’s Gaza proposal) is going to have very long-term repercussions on the whole question of international peace and security and what constitutes world order,” he added.
Observers warned that Trump’s plan to force people to leave their land and take over territory would be a severe violation of international law.
“With President Trump, the conditions are volatile. It's unknown whether he is really serious or whether he simply wants to distract attention away from other things happening (such as) the remaking of the US government,” said Peter Layton, visiting fellow at Griffith University’s Griffith Asia Institute.
“It's difficult to see how he would convince the Palestinians, of which there are about 2 million people, to peacefully leave Gaza and go somewhere,” he told CNA’s Asia Now.
“And then it's difficult to believe that he would spend the hundreds of billions of dollars necessary to then reconstruct Gaza over the next 10 or 15 years.”
“RECIPE FOR GENERATING CHAOS”
Trump, who took office for his second term just over two weeks ago, said on Tuesday that there was support from the "highest leadership" in the Middle East for his idea.
“Regardless of what happens diplomatically off centrestage, I'm not sure too many leaders in the region will be stepping up to support Donald Trump,” said Layton.
“He's been disrupting relations around the world, and leaders will be, to a certain extent, distancing themselves from him and his statements.”
Senior Hamas officials have called Trump's idea a “recipe for generating chaos” in the region.
Georgetown University’s Hashemi believes Trump has been able to get away with such reckless comments as the Palestinians do not have an organised leadership that can represent them on the international stage.
“I think what we're seeing here is really a reflection of the huge imbalance in power between the Israelis and the Palestinians,” he said.
“The Palestinians basically have very little political or military power.”
INTERNATIONAL UPROAR
On Wednesday, Trump’s top officials defended his shock plan, but downplayed expectations and dialed back elements of the proposal after facing global condemnation.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump wanted Palestinians to be only "temporarily relocated" out of Gaza, instead of permanently resettled in Arab-majority states.
She added that the rebuilding of Gaza would not be paid for by the US, and that American troops were not likely to be sent.
Leavitt said Trump has been clear that "he expects our partners in the region, particularly Egypt and Jordan, to accept Palestinian refugees temporarily, so that we can rebuild their home”.
This comes after Trump on Tuesday said the US will “take over” and “own” the Gaza Strip, and that Palestinians will be transferred to other countries. He was speaking after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House .
“Obviously, they've had second thoughts and they've noticed the international condemnation of President Trump's proposal,” said Amin Saikal, distinguished visiting fellow at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies.
“But at the same time, it is a reflection of the president's mindset,” he told CNA’s Asia Now.
The backtracking from top White House officials suggests that Washington’s broader Middle East strategy “is not really firmed up”, Saikal added.
But he pointed out that Trump has a Middle East team of advisers that are “very incredibly Israel-inclined and are therefore strong supporters of Israel”.
“I think that is not signalling any willingness on the part of the Trump administration to engage in more constructive activities in order to ensure that the second stage of the ceasefire passes smoothly," he added.
