U.S. President Donald Trump's recent remarks on the conflict in the Gaza Strip have ignited sharp criticism from Palestinians and regional analysts, who say his statements reflect a provocative posture and a lack of genuine commitment to peace, reported Xinhua.
During a roundtable with Qatari officials in Doha this week, Trump suggested the United States should "take" Gaza and reshape its future.
"I think I'd be proud to have the United States have it, take it, make it a freedom zone," he said before reporters. "Let some good things happen, put people in homes where they can be safe, and Hamas is going to have to be dealt with."
The comments triggered immediate condemnation across Gaza, where residents viewed them as tone-deaf and representative of a foreign policy driven more by political calculation than humanitarian concern.
Khalil Qassem, a displaced resident from Beit Lahia now sheltering in Gaza City, expressed profound skepticism.
"Trump's words swing wildly. He seems more concerned with scoring political points than addressing the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding here," said Qassem. "Over 100 people were killed in northern Gaza today (Friday) alone, and there's still no meaningful action from Washington to stop it."
Emad Abu Omar, a Gaza City resident, argued that Trump's stance reflects an entrenched pattern in U.S. foreign policy.
"His position has always tilted toward Israel," Abu Omar said. "Once again, we hear Gaza framed as a political prize, not a place where civilians are dying daily."
In Khan Younis, southern Gaza, Safia Abu Jamea said she was unsurprised by the U.S. president's rhetoric.
"Trump's alignment with Israel has never wavered," she said. "There's no indication that Washington will pressure Israel into a ceasefire or support substantive humanitarian relief."
That sentiment was echoed in Deir al-Balah, where Ibrahim Islaieh, another displaced Palestinian, questioned American credibility.
"The U.S. provides the bombs falling on us," Islaieh said. "How can we believe it's also going to broker peace?"
Regional political analysts expressed similar concerns. Amjad Abu al-Ezz, a political science professor at the Arab American University in the West Bank, said Trump's rhetoric lacked a coherent diplomatic vision.
"He referenced peace only in the context of hostage releases," Abu al-Ezz said. "There was no mention of a ceasefire, de-escalation, or even basic humanitarian corridors."
The United States, he noted, has long struggled to be seen as an honest broker in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, adding that Palestinians should not expect any meaningful U.S. pressure on Israel.
Trump's Middle East tour this week, with stops in Riyadh, Doha, and Abu Dhabi, had raised expectations of renewed American engagement in the deadly Gaza conflict that erupted more than 19 months ago and killed more than 53,000 Palestinians. For many observers, those hopes quickly dissipated.
In Riyadh on Tuesday, Trump offered a more measured statement: "We continue to work to get that war ended as quickly as possible. It is a horrible thing that is taking place." By Thursday in Doha, however, he had shifted to discussing American control over Gaza.
By Friday in Abu Dhabi, he added: "We're looking at Gaza. And we're going to get that taken care of. A lot of people are starving."
For many Gazans, Trump's declarations represent not a promise but a provocation — and a reminder that their suffering remains secondary in geopolitical calculations. His high-profile regional tour, which generated significant publicity, yielded little in terms of concrete steps to address the humanitarian crisis.
- Palestinians
- Criticizes
- Trump’s Gaza remarks
Source: www.dailyfinland.fi
