United States President Donald Trump reiterated on Thursday his desire to take control of the Gaza Strip, saying at a dinner in Qatar that the US would "make it a zone of freedom."
He added that there is nothing left to save in Palestinian land.
Trump first mentioned the idea of Gaza in February, when he said the US would rebuild it and force the Palestinians to go somewhere.
His plan was widely condemned, with Palestinians, Arab countries and the United Nations saying it would amount to ethnic cleansing.
Most of Gaza's population of 2.3 million is internally displaced as a result of Israel's war, which has killed nearly 53,000 Palestinians and destroyed much of the enclave.
The Gaza war began when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages.
Hamas is designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union.
Speaking to a group of officials and businessmen in Qatar, Trump said: "I have concepts for Gaza that I think are very good: make it a zone of freedom, you should allow the United States to be involved."
Trump said he had seen "aerial views where, I mean, there's almost no buildings left standing. It's not like you can try to save anything. There are no buildings. People are living under the rubble of collapsed buildings, which is unacceptable."
"I want it (Gaza) to become a free zone. And, if necessary, I think I would be proud for the United States to have it, to take it, and make it a free zone," he added.
Trump has previously said he wants to turn Gaza into the "Riviera of the Middle East."
Palestinians strongly oppose any plan that would see them leave Gaza, comparing the idea to the 1948 “Nakba,” or “catastrophe,” when hundreds of thousands were driven from their homes during the war that led to the creation of Israel. Many say they would rather live in the ruins of their homes than in the past.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described Trump's idea as a "bold vision" and said he and the US president had discussed which countries might be willing to accept Palestinians leaving Gaza./ REL (A2 Televizion)
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