Hamas Slams Trump’s Gaza Remarks, Blames Israel for Failed Hostage Talks
Hamas on Thursday resolutely rejected President Donald Trump’s proposal for the US to take control over Gaza and turn it into a “freedom zone.”
After President Trump made that comment while on his Middle East tour, Senior Hamas official Basem Naim responded by asserting that Gaza belongs exclusively to the Palestinian people and “not a building up for sale in a real estate market.” He said Palestinians are prepared to make sacrifices to defend their land and deserve freedom and dignity like any other nation.
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Naim said that Hamas is open to a political process and ready to transfer governance of Gaza to any agreed-upon Palestinian body.
Hamas also accused the Israeli government on Thursday of deliberately prolonging the war in Gaza while rejecting ceasefire proposals, as the humanitarian crisis in the coastal enclave deepens and diplomatic efforts stall.
“There can be no meaningful negotiations while Gaza is being starved and bombed,” Naim said. “Food, water, and medicine are fundamental rights, not subjects for negotiation.”
President Trump called for the US to take control over Gaza while speaking at a business roundtable event in Qatar, saying he would “be proud” for Gaza to come under US control. That idea was first suggested in January during a visit of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington, when Trump proposed turning Gaza into a US-controlled “Riviera of the Middle East.”
