Former US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the United States would “take over and own” the Gaza Strip, asserting that his administration would be responsible for clearing unexploded bombs and weapons in the region.

“The U.S. 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 unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site,” AP quoted Trump as saying at a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Economic Development & Hamas Elimination Discussed

Trump added that, following the cleanup, the US would work on economically developing the area. He also stated that he and Netanyahu focused on eliminating Hamas and restoring stability to the region during their closed-door meeting.

Trump Criticizes Biden, Calls for Regional Involvement

At the press conference, Trump criticized his predecessor Joe Biden, claiming “nobody did anything for four years” in the Middle East except display incompetence.

According to Bloomberg, Trump also insisted that Egypt and Jordan would accept Palestinian refugees from Gaza, dismissing their objections. “They say they’re not going to accept — I say they will,” he remarked.

This meeting marked Trump’s first with a foreign leader at the White House since his return to office.

Trump Suggests Revisiting Palestinian Statehood

In a potential policy shift, Trump hinted that he may reconsider supporting an independent Palestinian state as part of a broader two-state solution.

When asked if he still backed the 2020 peace plan he previously proposed, Trump responded: “Well, a lot of plans change with time.”

He acknowledged the shifting dynamics of the conflict, stating, “A lot of death has occurred since I left and now came back. Now we are faced with a different situation — in some ways better and in some ways worse. But we are faced with a very complex and difficult situation that we’ll solve.”