New Delhi:
The president of the United States, Donald Trump, stopped on a podium in the White House. Flanked by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who kept his gaze locked in Trump, the president delivered a proposal with a characteristic bravery that would decide the fate of more than 2 million people in a besieged territory about 9,500 km away. “The United States will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with him,” said President Trump. But his statement did not answer a massive question: what about Hamas?
The Armed Palestinian Group appointed a terrorist organization of the United States, maintains a fortress in Gaza and has governed the enclave since 2007. They are the attacks of October 7 to Israel in 2023 was followed by the Israeli who launched a devastating attack against Gaza which has led those taken to deaths of more than 50,000 and displacement of millions.
In his proposal, Trump did not offer details about how his administration would manage Hamas or the implications of an American intervention in another country in the Middle East under agitation.
“We possess it and will be responsible for dismantling all the dangerous without exploiting and other weapons on the site. Level the site and eliminate the destroyed buildings. Levels,” Trump said.
Netanyahu, standing next to Trump at the press conference, seemed pleased.
Trump has presented an idea that has surprised international observers: the idea that the United States could “possess” Gaza after war and reset its Palestinian population in other parts of the Middle East. His comments have caused a strong conviction of Palestinian groups, Arab nations and international experts, asking questions about the viability of his vision.
Hamas is still standing
Hamas is still a force in Gaza. Despite the months of Israeli bombing and land operations aimed at dismantling it, Hamas has not been eliminated or expelled from the enclave. His presence continues to complicate any proposal for the future of Gaza, either from Trump or any other political leader.
Hamas controls the underground tunnel networks, maintains military capacity and continues to influence the population. While Netanyahu has promised to destroy the group, that goal remains far from being carried out. Some analysts believe that completely eradicating Hamas could take years, if possible.
Trump has said he does not want to fight to resume after high the current fire, however, his plan does not offer a realistic mechanism to eliminate Hamas de Gaza. Without a clear solution, his proposal faces immediate practical obstacles:
The Israeli army, after months of operations, has not completely dismantled the group. It is unlikely that any Arab country comet troops to fight Hamas on behalf of an administration led by Americans in Gaza. Trump’s past foreign policy has focused on reducing US military participation in the Middle East and withdrawing Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq troops. The idea that American forces would commit to assure Gaza for years contradicts his own foreign policy position.
There are no indications that Hamas voluntarily yields the control or accepts any external governance structure. Instead, he has promised to resist displacement and any rule imposed by foreigners on Gaza. Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem described Trump’s idea as an attempt to “occupation” and demanded an emergency Arab summit to face any effort to expel the Palestinians from Gaza.
“Gaza is for its people, and they will not leave,” Qassem said in a statement. “We call on the Arab peoples and international organizations that take strong measures to reject the Trump project.”
The armed group does not intend to give up control or accept a tax agreement.
The Arab situation
Trump’s proposal to relocate the 2 million residents of Gaza to other Arab countries faces almost universal rejection. Egypt and Jordan, the two countries mentioned most frequently in past discussions about the potential resettlement of refugees, have strongly opposed any plan.
Jordan is already home to a large Palestinian population. His King Abdullah has repeatedly warned that any forced displacement of Palestinians of Gaza would threaten the stability of his country. Many in Jordan believe that the resettlement of the Palestinians will lead Israel to annexed to occupied West.
The Egyptian president, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, has rejected the idea of assuming refugees from Gazán, for fear that not only would he introduce security threats linked to Hamas in the Sinai Peninsula, but also establish a precedent for permanent displacement.
Even the rich nations of the Gulf, such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, have not shown a willingness to take a large number of displaced Palestinians. The Trump plan has no regional support.
Saudi Arabia has already dismissed Trump’s proposal. In recent months, Saudi officials have linked any future normalization of relations with Israel to a specific plan towards Palestinian status. Trump’s plan contradicts that goal, which makes Saudi Arabia unlikely to get involved with him.
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