'Level it': Trump says US will 'take over' Gaza Strip, rebuild it to stabilize Middle East

The U.S. will "take over the Gaza Strip," level it and rebuild the area, President Donald Trump said during a press conference Tuesday evening after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. 

"The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it, too," Trump said Tuesday evening in a joint press conference with Netanyahu. "We'll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous, unexplored bombs and other weapons on the site."

"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," he 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."

Netanyahu, who joined Trump for the Tuesday press conference, is the first world leader to meet with the president at the White House under his second administration.

When asked about taking over the Gaza Strip, Trump said he could see the U.S. in a "long-term ownership position" of the piece of land, which would likely bring stability to the Middle East.

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"I see it bringing great stability to that part of the Middle East and maybe the entire Middle East," Trump said. "And everybody I've spoken to – this was not a decision made lightly – everybody I've spoken to loves the idea of the United States owning that piece of land. Developing and creating thousands of jobs with something that will be magnificent in a really magnificent area that nobody would know. Nobody can look because all they see is death and destruction and rubble." 

Netanyahu, when also asked about the Gaza Strip, reiterated to the media that he has three goals, one of which is to "make sure that Gaza never poses a threat to Israel again."

"President Trump is taking it to a much higher level," the Israeli leader said. "He sees a different – he sees a different future for that piece of land that has been the focus of so much terrorism, so much, so many attacks against us, so many, so many trials and so many tribulations. He has a different idea, and I think it's worth paying attention to this."

The pair's White House meeting included discussing the current ceasefire deal between Israel and the Hamas terror group and its future, Iran's grip on the Middle East and resettling Gaza residents in other nations.

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"In our meetings today, the prime minister and I focused on the future, discussing how we can work together to ensure Hamas is eliminated and ultimately restore peace to a very troubled region," Trump said during the press conference. "It's been troubled, but what's happened in the last four years has not been good."

Trump said the Gaza Strip has become "a symbol of death and destruction for so many decades and so bad for the people anywhere near it."

"It should not go through a process of rebuilding and occupation by the same people that have really stood there and fought for it and lived there and died there and lived a miserable existence there," he added. 

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Netanyahu lauded Trump's tenacity and ability "to think outside the box" during his comments to the press. 

"Your willingness to puncture conventional thinking, thinking that has failed time and time and time again, your willingness to think outside the box with fresh ideas, will help us achieve all these goals," he said. "And I've seen you do this many times. You cut to the chase. You see things others refuse to see. You say things others refuse to say, you know. And after the jaws drop, people scratch their heads, and they say, 'You know, he's right.'" 

The Israeli leader continued that his nation's victory would also be a win for America.

"Israel's victory will be America's victory," Netanyahu said. "We will not only win the war working together, we will win the peace. With your leadership, Mr. President, and our partnership, I believe that we will forge a brilliant future for our region and bring our great alliance to even greater heights."