WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump, proposing a major shift in Middle East policy, called for the U.S. to take over the Gaza Strip and relocate roughly two million Palestinians to neighboring Arab countries. His goal, he said, is to turn the war-ravaged enclave into the "Riviera of the Middle East."

President Donald Trump on Tuesday said the United States “will take over” the Gaza Strip — possibly with the help of American troops — while the Palestinians who live there should leave, a stunning proposal that would dramatically reorient the Middle East and subject a population of more than a million to further displacement.

The Gaza Strip, home to more than 2.3 million people, has been a flashpoint in the Middle East since Hamas militants attacked Israel in October 2023. President Donald Trump’s suggestion this week that the United States should “take over” the area and resettle displaced Palestinians outside the area has increased tensions.