United States President Donald Trump has unveiled his shocking plan to take over the Gaza Strip after Palestinians are forcibly moved out of the besieged enclave, spurring fears he would back an ethnic cleansing campaign. During a news conference with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, Trump suggested Palestinians would “love to leave” Gaza, saying he foresees long-term US ownership of the Strip while it’s being rebuilt, claiming to bring jobs and economic prosperity to the area. Trump’s comments drew sharp responses in the US and abroad. Here are some key reactions from around the world: Hamas Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said the call for Palestinians in Gaza to be ethnically cleansed was an “expulsion from their land”. “Trump’s remarks about his desire to control Gaza are ridiculous and absurd, and any ideas of this kind are capable of igniting the region,” Abu Zuhri said. “We consider them [the plan] a recipe for generating chaos and tension in the region because the people of Gaza will not allow such plans to pass.” Hamas senior official Izzat El-Reshiq said the proposal “will only put oil on the fire” and demanded an urgent Arab-Islamic summit. Live Sign up Open the menu News | Israel-Palestine conflict World reaction to Trump’s ‘take over’ and ethnic cleansing plan for Gaza Hamas calls Trump’s idea a ‘recipe for generating chaos’ and says the people of Gaza will not allow their displacement. Published On 5 Feb 2025 5 Feb 2025 Updated: 18 minutes ago United States President Donald Trump has unveiled his shocking plan to take over the Gaza Strip after Palestinians are forcibly moved out of the besieged enclave, spurring fears he would back an ethnic cleansing campaign. During a news conference with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, Trump suggested Palestinians would “love to leave” Gaza, saying he foresees long-term US ownership of the Strip while it’s being rebuilt, claiming to bring jobs and economic prosperity to the area. Trump’s comments drew sharp responses in the US and abroad. Here are some key reactions from around the world: Recommended Stories list of 3 items list 1 of 3 Donald Trump announces US aims for Gaza during Netanyahu’s visit list 2 of 3 Trump says US will ‘take over’ and ‘own’ Gaza in redevelopment plan list 3 of 3 Trump doubles down on US ‘ownership’ of Gaza end of list Advertisement Hamas Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said the call for Palestinians in Gaza to be ethnically cleansed was an “expulsion from their land”. “Trump’s remarks about his desire to control Gaza are ridiculous and absurd, and any ideas of this kind are capable of igniting the region,” Abu Zuhri said. “We consider them [the plan] a recipe for generating chaos and tension in the region because the people of Gaza will not allow such plans to pass.” Hamas senior official Izzat El-Reshiq said the proposal “will only put oil on the fire” and demanded an urgent Arab-Islamic summit. Advertisement “These statements reflect confusion and deep ignorance about Palestine and the region. Gaza is certainly not a common land and it is not a property that can be bought and sold. American bias towards Israel and against our Palestinian people and against their just rights continues,” he said. Hamas spokesman Abdel Latif al-Qanou said “the American racist stance aligns with the Israeli extreme right’s position in displacing our people and eliminating our cause.” Palestine Liberation Organisation ecretary-General Hussein al-Sheikh said the PLO rejects all calls for the displacement of the Palestinian people from their homeland. “The Palestinian leadership affirms its firm position that the two-state solution, in accordance with international legitimacy and international law, is the guarantee of security, stability and peace,” he said on X. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas strongly rejected any plans to displace Palestinians from Gaza, saying “we will not allow any infringement of the rights of our people, which we have struggled for decades and made great sacrifices to achieve.”