President Donald Trump's envoy said on Thursday that it will take 15 years to rebuild the destroyed Palestinian territory of Gaza.
It comes after the president has doubled a plan on a plan to have Jordan and Egypt taken, no less than 1.5 million Gazans, although both countries have refused so far.
In the meantime, his real estate investor Steve Witkoff ended a visit to Israel shortly after Hamas had released eight hostages in exchange for 110 prisoners who were held in Israeli prisons.
Just like Trump, he indicated that he is already thinking about how Gaza rebuild air strikes and military attacks after more than a year.
'There has been this perception that we can reach a solid plan for Gaza in five years. But it's impossible. This is a rebuilding plan from 10 to 15 years, “he told Axios.
The Trump campaignonor, which has business ties with Qatar and other Gulf states, visited the region to control a cease -the proof.
He became the first American officer to visit Gaza in 15 years.
“There is nothing left. Many non -depleted regulations, “he said. 'It is not safe to walk there. It is very dangerous.
“I would not have known this without going there and inspecting it.”
Donald Trump's real estate investor Steve Witkoff ended a visit to Israel shortly after Hamas had released eight hostages in exchange for 110 prisoners in Israeli prisons
Witkoff said it would take more than 10 years to rebuild Gaza after more than a year of strikes
A UN assessment estimated that it could take 21 years to erase more than 50 million tonnes of debris for an amount of $ 1.2 billion.
The rubble probably contains dangerous materials, such as asbestos and human remains, which further complicate the reconstruction.
'People move to the north to return to their houses and see what happened and turn around and leave … There is no water and no electricity. It is amazing how much damage was gained there, “he said.
Witkoff said that he had not discussed the relocation plan with Trump, but said that the territory looked 'uninhabitable'.
On Saturday, Trump described Gaza as 'literally a demolition location'.
“You are talking about one and a half million people, and we will clean up that whole thing,” he told reporters who traveled with him on board Air Force One.
He said he had spoken with King Abdullah II of Jordan and asked him to take more refugees, and was planning to make the same request to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi.
But the idea is politically explosive. Gazans fear that every effort to move them is part of an Israeli land grip.
Trump was asked about his plan during a performance in the Oval Office of the White House
And Egypt and Jordan both said they had nothing to do with the proposal.
On Thursday, Trump was asked if there was something he could do to make them think again.
“They will do it. They are going to do it, “he told reporters in the Oval office of the White House.
“Okay, we do a lot for them and they are going to do it.”
In the past, Trump has me on the pleasant climate and the Mediterranean location of Gaza and said it was ideal for tourism.
