World reacts to Trump's plans to 'take over' Gaza

US President Donald Trump's announcement that the US will "take over" Gaza has sparked confused and angry reactions across the globe. 

On Tuesday, at a joint press conference alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said that the US is looking into running Gaza for the foreseeable future and to displace Palestinians from their homeland.

“Everybody I've spoken to loves the idea of the United States owning that piece of land, developing and creating thousands of jobs with something that will be magnificent,” Trump told reporters after a three-hour meeting with Netanyahu. 

Earlier in the day he insisted that Palestinians have no other alternative but to leave Gaza and go somewhere “good, fresh, beautiful” without the prospect of returning, and again called on Jordan and Egypt to take in the forcibly expelled Palestinians, along with other unnamed countries. 

Hamas has rejected Trump's surprise plans on Gaza, calling it "racist" and focused at eliminating the Palestinian cause.

"The American racist stance aligns with the Israeli extreme right's position in displacing our people and eliminating our cause," Hamas spokesperson Abdel Latif al-Qanou said in a statement.

Here Middle East Eye looks at some reactions from other organisations and states:

Palestinian Authority

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, along with Palestinian leadership, strongly rejected suggestions of a US takeover of Gaza and the forcible expulsion of Palestinians there.

In response to US proposals, Abbas said: "We will not allow any harm to the rights of our people, for which we have struggled for decades and paid a heavy price to achieve.

"These calls are a grave violation of international law, and there will be no peace or stability without a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital, within the 1967 borders, based on the two-state solution."

He emphasised that Gaza, alongside the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, has been an inseparable part of Palestine since 1967.

Abbas also thanked the Arab nations, particularly Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia, for their opposition to the US plan of displacement.

He urged the UN secretary-general and the Security Council to take swift action to protect international law and end the Israeli occupation.

Egypt

The North African country's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty called on Wednesday for the Palestinian Authority to govern the Gaza Strip, following Trump's proposal for a US takeover of the territory.

During a meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa, the Egyptian minister said that his country was eager for the Palestinian Authority (PA) to "assume its duties in the Gaza Strip as part of the occupied Palestinian territories", according to a foreign ministry statement.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry asserted its position on Wednesday that the establishment of a Palestinian state "is firm and unwavering".

Officials said the kingdom will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without the existence of a Palestinian state. 

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia also reaffirms its unequivocal rejection of any infringement on the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, "whether through Israeli settlement policies, land annexation, or attempts to displace the Palestinian people from their land".

The ministry's statement concluded by asserting that their position is "non-negotiable and not subject to compromises", adding that Riyadh's position on achieving rights for Palestinians has been clarified to the former and current US presidents. 

Iran

An Iranian official told Reuters that the Islamic Republic is ready to give the US a chance to resolve disputes. 

However, the official said Tehran disagreed with "any displacement of Gazans, but Iran-US talks are a separate matter".

"Iran does not agree with any displacement of Palestinians and has communicated this through various channels. However, this issue and the path of Iran’s nuclear agreement are two separate matters and should be pursued separately,” the official added.

Turkey 

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan told reporters on Wednesday that the US president's plans to displace Palestinians living Gaza were "unacceptable".

“The issue of deportation regarding Gaza is a situation that neither the region nor we can accept, even thinking about it is a waste of time, even bringing it up for discussion is wrong,” he told Anadolu Agency during a live broadcast.

The minister further warned that the world is shifting towards a "law of the jungle", where there are no considerations for the needs of others.

China

China said it opposed the president's plans in Gaza, adding that it is against the forced displacement of Palestinians to neighboring countries.

Foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters that Beijing "has always believed that 'the Palestinians governing Palestine' is the fundamental principle for postwar governance in Gaza."

"We oppose the forced displacement and relocation of the population in Gaza," Lin added.

United Kingdom 

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said there needs to be assurance that Palestinians have a future in their homeland.

"We've always been clear in our belief that we must see two states. We must see Palestinians live and prosper in their homelands in Gaza and the West Bank," he told reporters during a trip to Kyiv.

France

France has also joined criticism of a US takeover of Gaza, saying that the future of Gaza must not involve "control by a third state".

"France will continue to campaign for the implementation of the two-state solution, the only one that can guarantee long-term peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike," the foreign ministry said.

Germany

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock stressed that the Gaza Strip "belongs to the Palestinians".

"The civilian population of Gaza must not be expelled and Gaza must not be permanently occupied or repopulated," Baerbock said in a statement.

"It is clear that Gaza, like the West Bank and east Jerusalem, belongs to the Palestinians. They form the basis for a future Palestinian state."

Russia 

The Kremlin has stressed that stability in the Middle East will only be achievable on the basis of two-state solution.

Russian spokesperson Dmitry Peskov reiterated Moscow's position that the only way to resolve the Middle East conflict was through the creation of a Palestinian state to exist side-by-side with Israel.

"This is the thesis that is enshrined in the relevant UN Security Council resolution, this is the thesis that is shared by the overwhelming majority of countries involved in this problem. We proceed from it, we support it and believe that this is the only possible option," he said.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that "there are Israeli plans to take full control of the occupied West Bank and attempts to displace Palestinians from the Gaza Strip”,  adding that “practising a policy of collective punishment is a method that Russia rejects”.

Australia 

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said that the country will continue to back a two-state solution “where both Israelis and Palestinians could live in peace and security”.

“Australia’s position remains unchanged – today, last year, and a decade ago.

“We’ve supported a ceasefire, we’ve supported hostages being released and we’ve supported aid getting into Gaza,” he said. Albanese refused to comment explicitly on the US president's remarks.