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Global Reaction to Trump’s Gaza Strip Takeover Plan

US President Donald J. Trump speaks during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 04 February 2025. (EPA)
US President Donald J. Trump speaks during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 04 February 2025. (EPA)
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Global Reaction to Trump’s Gaza Strip Takeover Plan

US President Donald J. Trump speaks during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 04 February 2025. (EPA)
US President Donald J. Trump speaks during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 04 February 2025. (EPA)

President Donald Trump said the United States would take over the Gaza Strip after Palestinians are resettled elsewhere. 

Here are some global reactions to the announcement. 

SAUDI ARABIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY 

"Saudi Arabia rejects any attempts to displace the Palestinians from their land. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has affirmed the kingdom's position in 'a clear and explicit manner' that does not allow for any interpretation under any circumstances." 

EGYPT'S FOREIGN MINISTER BADR ABDELATTY 

Abdelatty discussed with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa the importance of moving forward with recovery projects in Gaza without Palestinians leaving the Gaza Strip. 

PALESTINIAN PRESIDENT MAHMOUD ABBAS AND THE PALESTINIAN LEADERSHIP 

Abbas said the Palestinians will not relinquish their land, rights, and sacred sites, and that the Gaza Strip is an integral part of the land of the State of Palestine, along with the West Bank and East Jerusalem. 

SENIOR HAMAS OFFICIAL SAMI ABU ZUHRI 

"Our people in the Gaza Strip will not allow these plans to pass, and what is required is to end the (Israeli) occupation and aggression against our people, not to expel them from their land." 

KREMLIN SPOKESMAN DMITRY PESKOV 

Russia believes a settlement in the Middle East is only possible on the basis of a two-state solution. 

CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY 

"China hopes all parties will take ceasefire and post-conflict governance as an opportunity to bring the Palestinian issue back on the right track of political settlement based on the two-state solution." 

TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER HAKAN FIDAN 

US President Donald Trump's comments on a plan to take over Gaza are "unacceptable". Any plans leaving Palestinians "out of the equation" would lead to more conflict. 

PALESTINE LIBERATION ORGANISATION SECRETARY GENERAL HUSSEIN AL-SHEIKH 

"The Palestinian leadership affirms its firm position that the two-state solution, in accordance with international legitimacy and international law, is the guarantee of security, stability and peace." 

ISLAMIC JIHAD 

"Trump's positions and plans are a dangerous escalation that threaten Arab and regional national security, especially in Egypt and Jordan, which the US administration wants to put in confrontation with the Palestinian people and their rights." 

UK ENVIRONMENT MINISTER STEVE REED 

"The UK government's position ... is that Palestinian civilians must be able to return to their homes and rebuild their lives. For those people, the last ...months have been a living nightmare, and it's important they're able to go home after this to start to rebuild. 

"They'll need a lot of support from the international community to do that, but it's the only way we're going to get to the long-term solution for all of this, and a long-term peace, which is a two-state solution." 

AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER ANTHONY ALBANESE 

"Australia's position is the same as it was this morning, as it was last year. The Australian government supports on a bipartisan basis a two-state solution." 

DEMOCRATIC AND PALESTINIAN-AMERICAN US REPRESENTATIVE RASHIDA TLAIB 

"Palestinians aren't going anywhere. This president can only spew this fanatical (expletive) because of bipartisan support in Congress for funding genocide and ethnic cleansing. It's time for my two-state solution colleagues to speak up." 

US MUSLIM ADVOCACY GROUP COUNCIL ON AMERICAN ISLAMIC RELATIONS 

"Gaza belongs to the Palestinian people, not the United States, and President Trump's call to expel Palestinians from their land is an absolute non-starter." 

"If the Palestinian people were ever somehow forcibly expelled from Gaza, this crime against humanity would spark widespread conflict, put the final nail in the coffin of international law, and destroy what remains of our nation's international image and standing." 

PAUL O'BRIEN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL USA 

"Removing all Palestinians from Gaza is tantamount to destroying them as a people. Gaza is their home. Gaza's death and destruction is a result of the government of Israel killing civilians by the thousands, often with US bombs." 

DEMOCRATIC US SENATOR CHRIS MURPHY 

"He's totally lost it...A US invasion of Gaza would lead to the slaughter of thousands of US troops and decades of war in the Middle East. It's like a bad, sick joke." 

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Arab World

Hamas Silent on Killings: Ceasefire Restraint or Inability to Retaliate?

Palestinians carry the body of Nael Abu Obeid, commander of the Rafah Brigade, after he was killed in an Israeli strike in Khan Younis on Wednesday. (AP)
Palestinians carry the body of Nael Abu Obeid, commander of the Rafah Brigade, after he was killed in an Israeli strike in Khan Younis on Wednesday. (AP)
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Hamas Silent on Killings: Ceasefire Restraint or Inability to Retaliate?

Palestinians carry the body of Nael Abu Obeid, commander of the Rafah Brigade, after he was killed in an Israeli strike in Khan Younis on Wednesday. (AP)
Palestinians carry the body of Nael Abu Obeid, commander of the Rafah Brigade, after he was killed in an Israeli strike in Khan Younis on Wednesday. (AP)

After killing the most prominent members of the Qassam Brigades’ military council during the Gaza war, Israel has turned its focus to the Hamas armed wing’s second-tier commanders, who now oversee military operations in the enclave.

Over the past week, Israel killed Mohammed al-Yazouri and Nael Abu Obeid, commanders of the Khan Younis and Rafah brigades, in separate strikes on the Mawasi area of Khan Younis in southern Gaza. Both were among the Qassam Brigades’ most prominent commanders in the south.

Al-Yazouri took command of the Khan Younis Brigade shortly after commanders Izz al-Din al-Haddad and Mohammed Ouda were killed in separate strikes less than 10 days apart in May.

Hudhayfa Abu Muammar was killed alongside al-Yazouri. A Qassam Brigades engineer close to its senior commanders, Abu Muammar, was responsible for developing the group’s military capabilities.

Abu Obeid took command of the Rafah Brigade after Mohammed Shabana was killed in May 2025, when Israel struck a tunnel in Khan Younis where he was with Mohammed Sinwar, the Qassam Brigades’ commander-in-chief.

Sinwar had succeeded Mohammed Deif, who was killed in an Israeli strike on July 13, 2024, alongside Rafa Salama, the former commander of the Khan Younis Brigade.

Hamas and its armed wing have notably confined their responses to mourning the commanders, omitting the threats of retaliation common in their statements during and before the war.

Some observers say Hamas has been weakened and can no longer respond militarily. Others say it is merely seeking to avoid provoking a harsher Israeli response or giving Israel a pretext to resume the war.

Israeli media

Israeli media have portrayed Hamas as incapable of responding.

Israel’s Channel 12 said the group feared Israel’s reaction and did not intend to retaliate for the killings, adding that it had “come to realize that the Israeli military has the upper hand on the battlefield.”

Haaretz quoted a former senior Palestinian security official in Gaza as saying Hamas could no longer operate freely in response to the killing of its senior commanders.

Signs of this had emerged even before the October 2025 ceasefire, the official said. Rocket fire from Gaza toward Israel had become “almost nonexistent” during the final months of the war, and there had been no major military operations.

Yedioth Ahronoth quoted Israeli military Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir as telling a closed-door security meeting attended by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz that Hamas had been defeated and Israel had prevailed in the confrontation.

An official in the military intelligence directorate, however, warned that Hamas still posed a threat and was seeking to rebuild its capabilities and restore its rule.

Katz said Hamas faced a “difficult strategic reality,” adding that Israel would “continue working to achieve its security objectives and ensure that the threat of Oct. 7 is not repeated.”

“We have eliminated Hamas leaders inside and outside Gaza, and even in Iran,” Katz said. “We will not allow Iran or any other party to arm Hamas again.”

Hamas’ Priorities

Four Hamas sources — a political official abroad, another source in Gaza and two field operatives in the enclave — separately told Asharq Al-Awsat that the group and its armed wing had other priorities, chiefly denying Israel any pretext to exploit the situation and resume the war.

The political source abroad said there was “a clear decision not to respond to any assassination, because what Israel wants is a reaction that would lend credibility to its narrative that Gaza contains real weapons capable of affecting it and that these weapons must be removed by force.”

The Gaza-based source said Hamas did not want to drag the enclave’s residents back into war. Palestinian factions had therefore reached broad understandings on the need to avoid any action that could be described as “provocative” and might trigger an unpredictable Israeli response.

Both sources said Hamas remained committed to the ceasefire agreement reached last year and to understandings with the Board of Peace on the second phase.

The problem lay with Israel, they said, accusing it of continuing to violate the agreement and refusing to honor any deal.

They said Hamas, in coordination with the other factions, had decided to move forward with the agreement, including transferring governing authority to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza and placing all weapons exclusively under its authority, rather than under the control of Israel or the United States.

Israel’s obstruction of the agreement was preventing that process from beginning, they said, adding that Israel was still blocking the committee from entering Gaza and assuming its duties.

The two field sources said Hamas and other factions retained what they described as “limited” capabilities, including small arms, explosive devices and anti-vehicle munitions that could be used to carry out attacks.

The political and military leaderships had decided, however, to preserve calm for as long as possible and prepare only for defensive, not offensive, operations.

One source said the decision reflected a desire to protect civilians, rather than fear of confronting Israel. It was also intended to prevent Israel from exploiting any attack to displace Palestinians, force them to move from one area to another and destroy more of the homes still standing in Gaza.

“The prevailing belief in Israel that Hamas has been defeated is merely a slogan with no value on the ground,” the source said.

“Hamas would rather spare Gaza’s residents the horrors of war than disprove that slogan through an attack whose outcome would have no significance at this time.”

Board of Peace Criticism

Separately, Israel’s i24NEWS quoted a Board of Peace official as criticizing Israel’s current strategy in Gaza: killing commanders while armed operatives remain and Hamas continues to govern.

The Board of Peace seeks to dismantle Hamas and eliminate it completely, while Israel is killing operatives without destroying the movement itself, the official said, according to the channel.

The official said Israel’s policy resembled the approach that prevailed before Oct. 7, 2023.

Dismantling Hamas, the official said, would require 14 days of calm, except for action needed to counter immediate threats; the Israeli government’s full cooperation with all preparations and logistical measures required for voluntary disarmament; and adherence to the Board of Peace’s deadline for halting attacks.

That would allow the parties to agree on a timetable for beginning to bring weapons under a single authority, as agreed in Cairo, the official said.

“If Hamas begins dismantling itself quickly and provides the coordinates of all the tunnels, that would be excellent,” the official added. “If it does not disarm, the Israeli military will receive international support to do so by force.”

Arab World

UN: Yemen Situation Rapidly Evolving as Restrictions Hamper Access to Western Coast

The United Nations said the latest events had displaced more than 100,000 people since the start of the month (AP)
The United Nations said the latest events had displaced more than 100,000 people since the start of the month (AP)
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UN: Yemen Situation Rapidly Evolving as Restrictions Hamper Access to Western Coast

The United Nations said the latest events had displaced more than 100,000 people since the start of the month (AP)
The United Nations said the latest events had displaced more than 100,000 people since the start of the month (AP)

More than 100,000 people have been displaced in Yemen since the beginning of September, most of them heading to the provinces of Taiz and Lahj, the United Nations said.

The pace of displacement has risen sharply since Sept. 3, Laurent Bukera, the UN resident and humanitarian coordinator for Yemen, told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Bukera said the United Nations was prepared to respond to further waves of displacement and an expected increase in humanitarian needs in Yemen as fighting continues along the western coast. More than 60,000 displaced people had received assistance through the Rapid Response Mechanism as of Sept. 15.

The movement of humanitarian workers has been affected in several areas along the western coast, he said, warning that insecurity, movement restrictions and communications outages continue to hamper access to some locations.

Bukera stressed the urgent need to ensure safe and sustained humanitarian access, provide safe passage for those fleeing the fighting, and secure the resources needed for a rapid response as needs continue to grow.

Displacement surges

The latest figures from the International Organization for Migration show that more than 100,000 people have been displaced since the start of September, Bukera said.

The situation remains fluid, with the number of internally displaced people expected to rise.

The United Nations and its humanitarian partners are supporting the most vulnerable people across Yemen, particularly those displaced, wherever security, access and available resources allow.

UNICEF said the fighting displaced more than 57,000 children in just two weeks and cut children off from essential services. It warned that the escalation was deepening a crisis in which 12.2 million children need humanitarian assistance.

Urgent needs, dwindling supplies

The most urgent needs include emergency shelter, household essentials, food, safe water, sanitation, emergency health care, protection and cash assistance, Bukera said.

Many of those displaced were already living in highly vulnerable conditions. Some have been forced to flee more than once.

Humanitarian response capacity is under severe pressure as supplies run low and funding remains scarce, Bukera said. Insecurity and movement restrictions are making it harder to reach people quickly.

Major gaps remain in shelter, water and sanitation, food security, health, nutrition, protection and cash assistance.

The Rapid Response Mechanism is working under a planning scenario designed to address any sharp increase in needs, Bukera said.

Aid workers and warehouses at risk

Asked about the change of control in Mokha, Bukera said the immediate priority was the safety and well-being of civilians, particularly those forced to flee or cut off from essential services and humanitarian aid by the recent fighting.

UN agencies are assessing needs and adapting their response to keep aid flowing, he said.

The safety of humanitarian workers and the security of offices, warehouses and other humanitarian assets remain a “matter of grave concern.”

Humanitarian workers, facilities and assets must be respected and protected at all times, Bukera said. Aid must also be allowed to move safely and without obstruction so life-saving relief can reach those in need.

Taiz and Lahj take in most of the displaced

Humanitarian partners are delivering immediate aid in affected areas and communities receiving displaced people, including Taiz and Lahj, which have taken in the largest numbers.

Registration is continuing as displacement and humanitarian needs rise.

More than 60,000 internally displaced people had received aid through the Rapid Response Mechanism by Sept. 15, in addition to other support for displaced families, Bukera said.

Access remains difficult in some locations because of insecurity, movement restrictions and communications outages.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs remains in contact with the relevant authorities to facilitate aid deliveries and secure safe passage for civilians.

UN prepares for wider crisis

The United Nations is responding to the current crisis while preparing for further waves of displacement and mounting humanitarian needs, Bukera said.

Humanitarian partners are developing planning scenarios covering rapid-response assistance, multipurpose cash aid and multisector support, including food supplies, to meet the needs of large numbers of people.

Bukera called for civilians and civilian infrastructure, including displacement sites, roads, schools and hospitals to be protected at all times.

He renewed calls for safe passage for those fleeing the fighting and for the resources needed to keep pace with the escalating humanitarian needs.

Arab World

Arab Interior Ministers Council Condemns Houthi UAV Launch Toward Makkah

Arab Interior Ministers Council Condemns Houthi UAV Launch Toward Makkah
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Arab Interior Ministers Council Condemns Houthi UAV Launch Toward Makkah

Arab Interior Ministers Council Condemns Houthi UAV Launch Toward Makkah

The General Secretariat of the Arab Interior Ministers Council strongly condemned reports that the terrorist Houthi militia launched a UAV toward Makkah on Wednesday.

The Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces successfully intercepted and destroyed the UAV before it entered Makkah's prohibited airspace, SPA reported.

In a statement, the General Secretariat said: “While expressing its firm condemnation and absolute denunciation of this cowardly terrorist attack, which constitutes a blatant violation of the rules of international law, a flagrant breach of the sanctity of the Grand Mosque and the holy sites, and a provocation to the feelings of all Muslims, the General Secretariat affirms its full solidarity and complete support for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the measures it takes to protect its territory and holy sites, preserve its security and stability, and safeguard the safety of its citizens and residents.”