Trump and Netanyahu to meet at the White House for talks
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Straits Times
14 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Timeline of Trump's remarks on Palestinian displacement, Gaza takeover
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a bilateral dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (not pictured), at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 7, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump proposed a U.S. takeover of Gaza in remarks in early February while also suggesting a permanent displacement of Palestinians from the enclave. The plan was condemned globally, with Palestinians, Arab nations, the U.N. and rights experts saying it was tantamount to "ethnic cleansing." Following is a timeline showing how Trump's comments have evolved since he first proposed displacing Palestinians on January 25: JANUARY 25: FIRST SUGGESTION OF PALESTINIAN DISPLACEMENT Five days after becoming president, Trump said Jordan and Egypt should take in Palestinians from Gaza while suggesting openness to this being a long-term plan. "I'd like Egypt to take people, and I'd like Jordan to take people (from Gaza)," Trump said, adding he spoke that day with Jordan's King Abdullah. "It's literally a demolition site ... so I'd rather get involved with some of the Arab nations and build housing at a different location where they (Palestinians) can maybe live in peace for a change," Trump said, adding: "We just clean out that whole thing." THREE REITERATIONS IN FOLLOWING WEEK Trump reiterated this plan on January 27, 30 and 31, and added that he expected Egypt and Jordan to agree to it, even as they rejected the proposal. "I think he (Egypt's president) would do it, and I think the king of Jordan would do it, too," Trump said on January 27. FEBRUARY 4 AFTERNOON: SUGGESTION OF PERMANENT DISPLACEMENT Before his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington on February 4, Trump suggested permanently displacing Palestinians from Gaza, saying people there had no alternative but to leave the enclave devastated by U.S. ally Israel's military assault that has caused a dire humanitarian situation and killed tens of thousands. "I think they (Gazans) should get a good, fresh, beautiful piece of land, and we get some people to put up the money to build it," Trump told reporters. "I don't know how they could want to stay (in Gaza)," he said. Forced displacement is illegal under international law. FEBRUARY 4 EVENING: U.S. TAKEOVER PROPOSAL In a press conference with Netanyahu, Trump proposed a U.S. takeover of Gaza, saying: "The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip. ... We'll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site." He said Washington will ask neighboring countries with "humanitarian hearts" and "great wealth" to take in Palestinians. He said those countries will pay for rebuilding Gaza and housing displaced Palestinians. When asked if U.S. troops will be sent, Trump said: "If it's necessary, we'll do that." When asked who will live in Gaza, Trump said: "I envision world people living there, ... Palestinians also." FEBRUARY 5: TRUMP AIDES WALK BACK SOME OF HIS STATEMENTS While defending Trump's proposal, his top aides walked back some of his words about permanently displacing Palestinians and using the U.S. military. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Palestinians should be "temporarily relocated" while Gaza is rebuilt and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Palestinians will leave Gaza for an "interim" period. Leavitt said Trump had not committed to putting "boots on the ground." FEBRUARY 6: TRUMP SAYS NO U.S. SOLDIERS NEEDED IN GAZA Trump posted on social media: "The Gaza Strip would be turned over to the United States by Israel at the conclusion of fighting. The Palestinians ... would have already been resettled in far safer and more beautiful communities, with new and modern homes, in the region." He added: "No soldiers by the U.S. would be needed!" FEBRUARY 10: TRUMP SAYS PALESTINIANS HAVE NO RIGHT OF RETURN In a Fox News interview with anchor Bret Baier, Trump was asked if Palestinians will have a right of return under his plan. He replied: "No, they wouldn't because they're going to have much better housing." He added: "I'm talking about building a permanent place for them." FEBRUARY 11: TRUMP MEETS JORDAN'S KING "We will have Gaza. No reason to buy. There is nothing to buy. It's Gaza. It's a war-torn area. We're going to take it. We're going to hold it. We're going to cherish it," Trump said on the day he met Jordan's king in Washington. The king reiterated his opposition. On the same day, Trump was asked if he was going to withhold aid to Egypt and Jordan, which both rely on Washington for economic and military assistance. He said: "You know, I think we'll do something. I don't have to threaten with money ... I do believe we're above that." APRIL 7: TRUMP'S SECOND U.S. MEETING WITH NETANYAHU "I think it's an incredible piece of important real estate," Trump said about Gaza when he met Netanyahu again at the White House, more than two months after his initial Gaza takeover proposal. "And I think it's something that we would be involved in, but you know having a peace force like the United States there, controlling and owning the Gaza Strip, would be a good thing." He said: "And if you take the people, the Palestinians, and move them around to different countries, and you have plenty of countries that will do that." Trump added: "A lot of people like my concept. But you know, there are other concepts that I like too and there are some concepts I don't like." Arab leaders in March adopted a $53 billion Egyptian reconstruction plan that would avoid displacing Palestinians from Gaza. Trump and Israel rejected it at the time. JULY 7: TRUMP'S THIRD U.S. MEETING WITH ISRAELI PM When asked about displacing Palestinians, Trump initially demurred to Netanyahu and said the countries around Israel were helping out. "We've had great cooperation from ... surrounding countries. ... So something good will happen," Trump said. Netanyahu himself said Israel was working with Washington to find other countries to agree to such a plan. "If people want to stay, they can stay, but if they want to leave, they should be able to leave," Netanyahu said. "We're working with the United States very closely about finding countries that will seek to realize what they always say, that they wanted to give the Palestinians a better future. I think we're getting close to finding several countries." Washington has for decades backed a two-state solution between the Israelis and the Palestinians to create a state for Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza alongside Israel. Trump said, "I don't know" when he was asked if that solution was possible and referred the question to Netanyahu. Netanyahu said: "I think the Palestinians should have all the powers to govern themselves, but none of the powers to threaten us. That means a sovereign power, like overall security, will always remain in our hands." REUTERS
CNA
37 minutes ago
- CNA
Trump says US will send more weapons to Ukraine
WASHINGTON: United States President Donald Trump said on Monday (Jul 7) the US would be sending more weapons to Ukraine to help the war-torn country defend itself against Russian attacks. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said Ukraine was getting hit very hard by Russia and needed to be able to defend itself. The US would be sending primarily defensive weapons, he said. Trump on Friday told reporters that Ukraine would need Patriot missiles to defend itself, but did not mention them again specifically on Monday. "We're going to send some more weapons. We have to. They have to be able to defend themselves. They're getting hit very hard, now. They're getting hit very hard. We're going to have to send more weapons, defensive weapons, primarily," he said at the start of a dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. After a call with Trump on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had agreed to work on increasing Kyiv's capability to "defend the sky" as Russian attacks escalated. He said he discussed joint defence production, purchases and investments with Trump. Ukraine has been asking Washington to sell it more Patriot missiles and systems that it sees as key to defending its cities from intensifying Russian air strikes. A decision by Washington to halt some shipments of weapons to Ukraine prompted warnings by Kyiv that the move would weaken its ability to defend against Russia's air strikes and battlefield advances.
AsiaOne
37 minutes ago
- AsiaOne
Rubio to make first Asia trip as Trump unveils tariffs on host and allies, World News
WASHINGTON — US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will visit Malaysia this week for meetings of Southeast Asian Nations in his first trip to Asia as America's top diplomat, the State Department said on Monday (July 7), even as President Donald Trump announced hefty tariffs on the hosts and other regional partners and allies. The State Department billed the July 8-12 trip as a move to reaffirm Washington's commitment to the Indo-Pacific. Hours later, Trump said he would impose 25 per cent tariffs from Aug 1 on imports from Japan and South Korea, the key US regional allies and vital partners in countering China's growing might. Trump also announced plans for tariffs on Malaysia and five other countries in the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, whose ministers Rubio will join for meetings in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia faces a 25 per cent tariff, Laos and Myanmar 40 per cent, Cambodia and US ally Thailand 36 per cent, and Indonesia 32 per cent. Rubio will seek to firm up US relationships with partners and allies unnerved by Trump's global tariff strategy. Trump's announcements seemed certain to make that task harder. The trip has been seen as part of a renewed US focus on the Indo-Pacific and an effort to look beyond conflicts in the Middle East and Europe that have consumed much of the Trump administration's attention. "Top topics that he's going to want to hit, obviously, are to reaffirm our commitment to East Asia, to Asean, to the Indo-Pacific, and not just... for its own sake," a senior State Department official told reporters. "I think a key message that the secretary likes to deliver is that we're committed, and we prioritise it because it is in America's interests, right? It promotes American prosperity and it promotes American security." The official said Rubio would be prepared to discuss trade, including reiterating that the need to rebalance US trade relationships is significant and echoing messages from the White House and the US Trade Representative. Asean countries have been nervous about Trump's tariffs and questioned the willingness of his "America First" administration to fully engage diplomatically and economically with the region. "There is a hunger to be reassured that the US actually views the Indo-Pacific as the primary theatre of US interests, key to US national security," said Greg Poling, director of the Southeast Asia Programme at Washington's Centre for Strategic and International Studies. On Sunday, Trump said the US was close to finalising several trade pacts and would notify other countries by July 9 of higher tariff rates. He also sent a message to BRICS group of developing nations as its leaders met in Brazil, threatening an additional 10 per cent tariff on any that align themselves with "anti-American" policies. The BRICS countries include Indonesia, as well as China and India. Last week, Trump announced he had reached a trade agreement with important Southeast Asian partner and Asean member Vietnam and could reach one with India. But he cast doubt on a possible deal with Japan, which is not only Washington's main Asian ally, but a major investor in the US Rubio has yet to visit Japan, or South Korea, the other main US ally in Northeast Asia, since taking office in January, even though Washington sees the Indo-Pacific as its main strategic priority given the perceived threat from China. South Korea's presidential security adviser Wi Sung-lac headed to Washington on Sunday for trade and defence talks, with Seoul seeking to head off US tariffs. He aims to meet with Rubio and discuss a possible summit between Trump and President Lee Jae-myung, who took office last month. [[nid:719965]]
