TEL AVIV — President Trump’s declaration that the United States wants to “take over” the war-ravaged Gaza Strip and permanently resettle Palestinians living there was met Wednesday with a mixture of scorn and disbelief across the region and beyond — but greeted with delight by right-wing allies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that after a year and a half of war, he wants the United States to take over the Gaza Strip.

The US President said he wouldn't rule out deploying US troops to support reconstruction of Gaza after permanently resettling displaced Palestinians outside the war-torn territory. View on euronews

Trump and top national security aides had spoken earlier in the day about their belief that Gaza was uninhabitable and about a proposal to relocate nearly 2 million Palestinians t

President Donald Trump said the U.S. would take over the war-ravaged Gaza Strip and develop it economically after Palestinians are resettled elsewhere, actions that would shatter decades of U.S. policy toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

In a news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the president also called for nearly two million Palestinians to permanently leave Gaza for neighboring countries.