The proposal of President Donald Trump of the United States to take over the war-torn Gaza Strip triggered confusion and skepticism from some of his fellow Republicans on Wednesday, while others backed the idea.
DAILY POST reports that Trump, meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Tuesday, proposed that the US take over Gaza and create a “Riviera of the Middle East” after resettling Palestinians elsewhere.
The idea sparked international condemnation and some dissent from Republicans in Congress, who have largely fallen in line behind Trump’s initiatives, such as pausing foreign aid and eliminating thousands of federal workers.
Skeptical lawmakers said they still favoured the two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians, which has long been a foundation of US diplomacy.
Some also rejected the idea of spending US taxpayer dollars or sending in US troops to a region that has been devastated by more than a year of war.
“I thought we voted for America first? We have no business contemplating yet another occupation to doom our treasure and spill our soldiers’ blood,” Republican Senator Rand Paul said on X.