It 'simply isn't going to work': Former Middle East minister tells LBC News that Trump's Gaza plan is 'astonishing'

5 February 2025, 10:36

Former Middle East minister tells LBC News that Trump's plan for Gaza simply 'isn't going to work'.

Tobias Ellwood, former Middle East minister and former MP for Bournemouth East, told LBC News that Trump's plan to 'take over' Gaza simply "isn't going to work".

Ellwood told Martin Stanford that "this has been quite astonishing, even by Trump's standards."

He wonders if Trump is serious, or if it's just a grand statement.

The Middle East expert said that Trump's claims to 'take over' the territory, and turn it into the 'Riviera of the Middle East' would breach the Olso Accords and the Geneva Convention, as it violates the right of self-determination for Palestine.

He said Palestinians would not support US intervention, and it's unlikely that neighbouring Jordon and Egypt will take two million Gazan refugees.

Ellwood pointed out that Trump won the election, partly because he was "removing unnecessary American engagement across the world."

Trump has now devoted a minimum of 50,000 troops to Gaza, who will engage with Hamas.

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The ex-minister said that the biggest challenge will be figuring out who will govern Gaza.

He believes that in order to rebuild, there will need to be a buffer zone with Israel, the World Bank will need to invest, with international aid from other countries.

However, Ellwood believes that this claim from Trump could be "all about getting people around the table to discuss."

While visiting Gaza as a minister, Ellwood said he heard about oil and gas reserved offshore. He said that if Gazans harnessed the resource, it would help the territory to rebuild - but the Israeli navy still controls those waters.

US President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that "the Gaza thing has never worked" and said the US could 'take over' the region as he hosted Israeli president Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House.

During the visit, Trump, alongside top advisers, made the case that a three-to-five-year timeline for reconstruction of the war-torn territory, was not a viable option.

"The Gaza thing has never worked," Mr Trump told reporters from the Oval Office.

"If we could find the right piece of land, pieces of land, and build them some really nice places, I think that would be a lot better than going back to Gaza."

During a press conference late on Tuesday following his meeting with Netanyahu, the US president went on to describe how Gaza had been a "very unlucky place for a long time".

He added that together, the US and Israeli would return "peace" and "prosperity" to the region going forward and proposed a US-owned land where Palestinians could live "peacefully".

"Everybody I've spoken to loves the idea of the United States owning that piece of land, developing and creating thousands of jobs," he said.

It would be the "Riviera of the Middle East".

Speaking following Trump's comments, Netanyahu addressed the US president, adding: "You are the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House".

He added that "Israel will end the war by winning the war," explaining that it will be a victory for the US as well.