


President Donald Trump’s special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, said he agrees with Trump that it is time to shake things up in Gaza.
Witkoff appeared on Fox News’s Hannity on Tuesday, hours after Trump announced the United States would take ownership of Gaza and likely send troops to the area if “necessary.” Trump’s plans include redeveloping the area as the “Riviera of the Middle East.”
“I think [Trump is] telling the Middle East that the last 50 years of doing things was not a correct way of doing things and that he is going to change it up because all of those iterations have not worked. He’s also telling the Middle East that he wants to be transparent with the Palestinian people,” Witkoff said. “Gaza today is uninhabitable and will probably be uninhabitable for at least the next 10 to 15 years. That is how much work has to be done.”
The Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry, overseen by Hamas, reported that 60,000 Palestinians were killed from Oct. 7 until the ceasefire deal last month. These numbers don’t distinguish between civilians and fighters, but the ministry estimates most were women and children.
“I think everybody wants to see peace in the region, Sean. And peace in the region means a better life for the Palestinians. A better life is not necessarily tied to the physical space that you’re in today,” Witkoff said. “A better life is about better opportunity, better financial conditions, better aspirations for you and your family. That does not occur because you get to pitch a tent in the Gaza Strip, and you are surrounded by 30,000 munitions that could go off at any moment.”
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Trump’s announcement came after his first meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu since taking office.
The ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel has entered its second week. It is slated to end on March 2.