The United Kingdom has dismissed former US President Donald Trump’s proposal to transform Gaza into “the Riviera of the Middle East”, insisting that displaced Palestinians must be allowed to return to their homes.
In a clear rebuke of Trump’s plan, a senior member of Sir Keir Starmer’s cabinet reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to a two-state solution, emphasizing that Israel should coexist alongside “a free and viable Palestinian state.”
Steve Reed, the UK’s Environment Secretary, became the first government official to address Trump’s remarks. While avoiding direct criticism of the former US president, Reed firmly rejected the notion of a US takeover of Gaza. He maintained that those displaced by the conflict should have the right to return and rebuild.
“Palestinian civilians have been through a living nightmare for the last 14 months, they need to be able to return to their homes and start to rebuild them.
“What I won’t do is provide a running commentary on the pronouncements of the president of the United States or any other world leader… I think we should give Donald Trump credit for the role he played in securing the ceasefire in the first place.”
Steve Reed
However, he reiterated the UK’s position, saying, “It is the view of the UK government that Palestinians should be able to return to their homes and rebuild their shattered lives.”
Trump’s controversial proposal has also drawn criticism from the Liberal Democrats, who have sought to distance themselves from the former president while courting anti-Trump voters in the UK.
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey labeled Trump’s idea “bizarre and dangerous” and urged the UK government to reject it outright. “The UK needs to make clear that these proposals must be rejected, and that we support international law and a two-state solution based on 1967 borders,” Davey asserted.
Trump, speaking at a White House press conference alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, unveiled his vision of transforming Gaza into a prosperous economic hub by relocating Palestinian residents elsewhere.
He described the war-torn enclave as “a hell hole” and claimed it had been “a symbol of death and destruction for so many decades.”
“It’s been an unlucky place for a long time. Being in its presence just has not been good, and it should not go through a process of rebuilding and occupation by the same people that have really stood there and fought for it and lived there and died there and lived a miserable existence there.”
Donald Trump
When pressed about what authority would permit the United States to assume control over Gaza — an area considered occupied territory under international law — Trump indicated that he envisioned “a long-term ownership position” for the US, which he claimed would bring “great stability to the Middle East.” He did not rule out deploying American troops to the region to facilitate this vision.
“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—in a really magnificent area.
“I’ve studied this very closely over a lot of months, and I’ve seen it from every different angle, and it’s a very, very dangerous place to be, and it’s only going to get worse. And I think this is an idea that’s gotten tremendous… praise. And if the United States can help to bring stability and peace in the Middle East, we’ll do that.”
Donald Trump
Trump also suggested that relocating Palestinians to other regions would allow them to “live in a beautiful community that’s safe and secure” and predicted “a tremendous outflowing of support” for his plan.
However, UK officials remain skeptical. Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel, while declining to comment directly on Trump’s statements, stressed that “no one country will be able to do this on their own.”
“We will have to wait and see, because no one country will be able to do this on their own. Our partners, our allies, in the Gulf states and the Middle East, we’ve already heard from the Saudi government as well, they will all have a role to play.”
Priti Patel
As global leaders respond to Trump’s bold proposal, the UK’s position remains unchanged—any resolution to the crisis in Gaza must respect international law and ensure the right of displaced Palestinians to return to their homeland.
