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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

Israeli Army Sets Gaza-style ‘Yellow Line’ in Lebanon amid Differences with Govt

The rubble of a destroyed building, seen from inside a heavily damaged building, after an Israeli strike, amid escalating hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, as the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran continues, in Tyre, Lebanon, April 2, 2026. (Reuters)
The rubble of a destroyed building, seen from inside a heavily damaged building, after an Israeli strike, amid escalating hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, as the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran continues, in Tyre, Lebanon, April 2, 2026. (Reuters)
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Israeli Army Sets Gaza-style ‘Yellow Line’ in Lebanon amid Differences with Govt

The rubble of a destroyed building, seen from inside a heavily damaged building, after an Israeli strike, amid escalating hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, as the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran continues, in Tyre, Lebanon, April 2, 2026. (Reuters)
The rubble of a destroyed building, seen from inside a heavily damaged building, after an Israeli strike, amid escalating hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, as the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran continues, in Tyre, Lebanon, April 2, 2026. (Reuters)

Israeli forces have advanced into Lebanon’s Ras al-Bayada area, a hilly region about 14 kilometers from the Galilee border overlooking the Litani River, with the army saying it plans to remain there for an extended, though temporary, period.

The move comes as tensions emerge between the military and the government over the scope of operations in southern Lebanon.

Families of several soldiers from the Nahal Infantry Brigade have written to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz and senior commanders, urging a reassessment of their sons’ deployment.

They warned that the “risks are unjustified due to a lack of air support” and cited rising casualties. “Remaining in Lebanon, under current conditions, exposes soldiers to danger in an extremely unreasonable way,” they said, calling for an urgent review and alternative strategies.

The government has advocated full control of South Lebanon and making the Litani River Israel’s new border. The army has rejected that approach, saying it will instead treat the Litani as a “line of fire,” monitored from what it calls a “yellow line” — a concept previously applied to the Gaza Strip border and viewed as temporary pending a withdrawal decision.

Tens of thousands of troops have been deployed to Lebanon under this framework.

The soldiers’ families said 13 people have been killed so far — 10 soldiers and three civilians — and 20 soldiers wounded. They added that “since most air force resources are currently devoted to Iran, soldiers in Lebanon are not receiving sufficient air support,” which they said was likely a key factor behind the casualties.

Debate over protecting northern civilians

Citing military sources, the families said one objective of the ground incursion is to draw Hezbollah fire toward Israeli troops rather than civilians in northern Israel.

While stressing the importance of protecting border communities, they argued this should not come at the direct expense of soldiers’ lives. “It is not legitimate to define drawing fire toward fighters as a war objective... without using all available tools to ensure their safety,” they wrote.

They suggested temporary alternatives, including evacuations or expanding shelters and fortified rooms in threatened areas.

“Exploiting our sons — young men who have been fighting for three years in a multi-front war — is a grave injustice,” they added, calling for accountability and an immediate review of operational decisions.

An Israeli report on Wednesday said Hezbollah is not currently capable of launching mass daily barrages toward central Israel, and that many recent projectiles have missed their targets.

However, it retains the ability to wage guerrilla warfare and target Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, where four divisions are operating.

According to Haaretz military analyst Amos Harel, Hezbollah is firing around 200 rockets and drones daily toward northern Israel and Israeli forces — more than many Israelis had expected at the start of the war.

He said the situation is “more complex” than official narratives suggest, adding that Hezbollah has used months of fighting and a ceasefire period since November 2024 to regroup and rebuild its capabilities.

A report in Maariv cited a senior officer who fought in the 2006 Lebanon war as saying current troop levels are insufficient for the political objectives being set.

“Promises of a decisive victory over Hezbollah do not match the reality on the ground,” he stated, warning of a repeat of past scenarios in which Israeli forces come under sustained anti-tank fire in exposed positions.

“A decisive outcome would require greater effort and larger forces,” he added, noting that the war with Iran and ongoing operations in the West Bank continue to stretch military resources.

Arab World

Russia, Egypt Discuss Means to Secure Energy, Food Supplies

Russian President Vladimir Putin receives Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty in Moscow on Thursday. (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
Russian President Vladimir Putin receives Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty in Moscow on Thursday. (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
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Russia, Egypt Discuss Means to Secure Energy, Food Supplies

Russian President Vladimir Putin receives Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty in Moscow on Thursday. (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
Russian President Vladimir Putin receives Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty in Moscow on Thursday. (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)

Egypt stressed on Thursday its keenness on developing its bilateral ties and strategic partnership with Russia, along with coordinating over regional and international affairs, most notably the impact of the war on Iran.

Russian President Vladimir Putin received in Moscow on Thursday Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, who handed him a message from President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi that tackled bilateral ties and the strategic partnership between their countries.

The FM had arrived in Moscow on Wednesday on a visit aimed at exploring means to develop bilateral cooperation and exchange views on several regional issues.

Experts said the visit aimed at “bolster balances in alliances and secure energy and food supplies.”

During his talks with Abdelatty, Putin hailed the depth of Egyptian-Russian ties and the fruitful cooperation in all fields.

He praised the role Sisi is playing in leading mediation to ease the escalation, support security and stability in the Middle East and prevent the conflict from expanding, said the Egyptian Foreign Ministry.

Abdelatty and Putin discussed the “intense diplomatic efforts aimed at de-escalation in the Middle East.” They also tackled the outcomes of the ministerial meeting that was held in Pakistan earlier this week that brought together the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Türkiye to discuss the conflict.

Calm and diplomacy are the best choices to avoid the expansion of the conflict, they stressed.

Sisi and Putin held telephone talks on Tuesday during which the former stressed the need for de-escalation in the Middle East.

Russia, with its international standing, can use its influence to end the war, he added.

Arab World

UN Resumes Operations in Sudanese Capital after 3 Years of War

Officials are seen at the reopening ceremony in Khartoum. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Officials are seen at the reopening ceremony in Khartoum. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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UN Resumes Operations in Sudanese Capital after 3 Years of War

Officials are seen at the reopening ceremony in Khartoum. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Officials are seen at the reopening ceremony in Khartoum. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The United Nations announced on Thursday that it was officially resuming operations in the Sudanese capital Khartoum after three years of war.

UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian and Development Coordinator in Sudan Denise Brown said the move was significant and allows UN agencies to reach all areas that were previously inaccessible.

Speaking at a press conference at the UN mission in central Khartoum, she added that the organization will continue its support to the state and individuals to end the war and reconstruct Sudan.

The UN quit Khartoum for Port Sudan shortly after the eruption of the war between the army and Rapid Support Forces in April 2023.

Sudanese Foreign Minister Mohi El-Din Salem said the UN’s return to Khartoum was an important message to internal partners that “we are working side by side to restore peace and stability in Sudan.”

“As we have reclaimed Khartoum from the rebel RSF, we will reclaim the regions of Darfur and Kordofan,” he told a press conference.

“We will work with the UN through the initiative proposed by Prime Minister Kamil Idris to the Security Council in December to end the war and restore peace and stability in Sudan,” he stressed.

Moreover, he said that Sudan was “open to all initiatives to reach sustainable peace,” while also rejecting any truce that allows the RSF to return to the Sudanese scene.

Sudan and the UN will work together to restore stability through intra-Sudanese dialogue, declared the FM. “Only the Sudanese people will decide the fate of their country.”