Trump says his Gaza plan ‘really works,’ but he won’t force it

By Merve Aydogan

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - US President Donald Trump on Friday claimed his plan to take over the Gaza Strip "really works," but said he would not impose it.

"'ll tell you the way to do, it is my plan. I think that's the plan that really works. But I'm not forcing it. I'm just going to sit back and recommend it," Trump said in an interview with Fox News Radio's Brian Kilmeade.

Trump expressed surprise at Jordan and Egypt’s opposition to his proposal for Gaza, stating, "We pay Jordan and Egypt billions of dollars a year, and I was a little surprised they'd say that."

He also claimed if the people of Gaza were given a choice between living in the Strip or "living in a nice community," they would go.

"It's a great location," he said of Gaza, adding that " I don't know why Israel ever gave that up. Why did they give it up?"

The US president has repeatedly called for the US to "take over" Gaza and resettle its population to redevelop the enclave into "the Riviera of the Middle East."

The idea has been vehemently rejected by the Arab world and other nations, who said it amounts to ethnic cleansing.