Does Trump Really Want to Rebuild Gaza?

What’s happening: During a Tuesday night press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Donald Trump called for the US to take over Gaza and fully dismantle its infrastructure, including buildings and even unexploded bombs.

Relocating Palestinians: A key part of this new plan — hailed by Netanyahu as “something that could change history” — is the relocating of Palestinians to new communities in Egypt or Jordan, with the financial backing of wealthy nations in the region.

• Not so fast: Middle Eastern nations have not welcomed the US president’s new idea. Jordan is reportedly ready to declare war on Israel should Netanyahu forcibly send Palestinians into their territory. Saudi Arabia and Egypt have also firmly rejected the proposal.

American reactions: Trump’s plan to take over the Gaza Strip has splintered conservatives. The plan was celebrated by commentator Ben Shapiro as “absolutely transformative,” and Breitbart Senior Editor-at-large Joel Pollack observed that Trump made his billions on accomplishing these kinds of deals — and that he may just transform Gaza into “a little island of prosperity.”

• Not every conservative hailed the proposal. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) knocked the move, saying, “I thought we voted for America First.” Famously hawkish Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) even hesitated, claiming the idea is “problematic.”

3-D Chess: Many on the right believe the proposal is actually just a negotiating tactic to attain concessions from Israel and its Arab neighbors. If the United States took control of Gaza, that would effectively end Israel’s campaign in the region — something Trump wants but Netanyahu does not, as his goal is to entirely eliminate Hamas.

The upshot: One remark made by Trump, which could be the focal point of the entire proposal, is that the displaced Palestinians will not be permitted to return to Gaza. The Israelis likely believe a Palestinian presence in Gaza is too dangerous and are pushing to move the population further away.

Why it matters: Whether or not President Trump’s proposal for the US to control Gaza is just a negotiating tactic, it represents a stark departure from years of status quo in the region and signals Trump’s willingness to take unorthodox approaches in foreign policy.