The Palestinian terrorist group whose attack on Israel launched the war in Gaza is now calling President Donald Trump’s proposal for the U.S. to rebuild the territory a “recipe for creating chaos and tension in the region.”
Trump sent shockwaves throughout the Middle East after announcing last night that the U.S. will “take over the Gaza Strip,” level it and rebuild the area.
“Instead of holding the Zionist occupation accountable for the crime of genocide and displacement, it is being rewarded, not punished,” Hamas told the Associated Press Wednesday.
Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, led to the Israeli military entering the Gaza Strip in their mission to eliminate the Palestinian terrorist group. As a result, the conflict has rendered much of the territory uninhabitable. The U.N. estimated late last year that 1.9 million people – around 90% of Gaza’s population – have been internally displaced.
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Hamas added to the AP that Trump’s plan is a “recipe for creating chaos and tension in the region.”
“What President Trump stated about his intention to displace the residents of the Gaza Strip outside it and the United States’ control over the Strip by force is a crime against humanity,” a senior Hamas official also told Fox News on Wednesday.
“We demand that the mediators, especially the United States, oblige the occupation to implement the ceasefire agreement in its three stages without procrastination or manipulation, as we are committed to implementing the agreement as long as the occupation commits to it, and any manipulation in implementing the agreement may cause it to collapse,” the official added.
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Trump announced in a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House Tuesday that “The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it, too,”
“We’ll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous, unexplored bombs and other weapons on the site,” he continued.
“Level the site and get rid of the destroyed buildings, level it out, create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area,” Trump also said. “Do a real job. Do something different. Just can’t go back. If you go back, it’s going to end up the same way it has for 100 years.”
Fox News’ Chief Foreign Correspondent Trey Yingst said the timing of Trump’s comments “raises huge questions about the current ceasefire agreement that is supposed to see the remaining hostages released from Gaza.”
“There are dozens of living hostages inside the Gaza Strip right now being held by Hamas, the group that is currently in control of Gaza. And it would not be surprising if tomorrow, Hamas threatens to step back from the current agreement or puts more pressure at the negotiating table,” Yingst said in a video posted on X last night.
“But the timing of these remarks is very significant remembering that these hostages remain in Hamas captivity and Palestinians being removed from Gaza has been a red line not only for Hamas but for regional countries including Egypt, Jordan and others as it relates to the Palestinian people there,” he added.
Fox News’ Trey Yingst and Emma Colton contributed to this report.
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