From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, February 5, 2025
Hamas official: Trump’s comments on taking over Gaza are ‘ridiculous and absurd’ and ‘capable of igniting the region’
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Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri says US President Donald Trump’s remarks about taking over the Gaza Strip are “ridiculous” and “absurd.”
“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 tells Reuters.
The response from the Palestinian terror group comes hours after Trump said he wants the US to “take over” Gaza and “own” the Strip in order to rebuild the coastal enclave after it was leveled in the past 15 months of war.
“The US 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 bombs and other weapons on the site… and get rid of the destroyed buildings, level it out [and] create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area,” Trump said during a press conference alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Trump didn’t specify who those jobs will be for, given that he is also calling for all Palestinians to be removed from Gaza.
The Times of Israel Community.