Trump calls Gaza Strip 'an important piece of waterfront property'

President Donald Trump calls the Gaza Strip an important asset that should be controlled and owned by the United States.

US President Donald Trump once again raised claims against the Gaza Strip.

"It's an incredibly important piece of real estate," he said during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

According to Trump, it would be a "good thing" to have a "peacekeeping force, like the United States, that controls and owns the Gaza Strip."

Trump thus repeated a similar statement with which he had shocked international opinion in early February during a press conference side by side with Netanyahu.

“Property by the sea”

Trump now declared that for years he has “only heard about killings, about Hamas and about problems” in the area. Israel once “owned” “this waterfront property” and then gave it up in the name of peace – but in his opinion that has failed, Trump said.

"I don't understand why Israel gave up that area at the time? It belongs to Israel," Trump said. "Israel really should never have given up the Gaza Strip," Trump said.

Netanyahu: Bold vision

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also said that during his meeting with President Trump he had discussed his plan to move Palestinians from the Gaza Strip while the area is rebuilt. Netanyahu called Trump's idea a "bold" vision.