The Palestinian armed group Hamas has issued a counter-warning after US President Donald Trump threatened to buy Gaza. The leaders of the group said that if Trump takes such an initiative, disaster will strike again. Gaza is not anyone's property that can be bought and sold.
Trump's statement was that he had "promised to buy and own" Gaza. Following this statement, Hamas political wing member Izzat al-Rishek said in a statement that Trump's plan was unrealistic. The Palestinian problem cannot be solved with the perspective of a real estate developer.
Trump told reporters on Sunday that Gaza should be considered a "massive housing project." Other Middle Eastern countries should refocus on developing the region. Trump, sounding like a seasoned real estate tycoon, said, "We're going to make Gaza the Riviera of the Middle East." Several countries have condemned Trump's remarks. Russia said it was monitoring Trump's actions on Gaza.
Al Jazeera reports that three Palestinians, including a pregnant woman, have been shot dead in the occupied West Bank. The number of people displaced in the week-long offensive has exceeded 35,000. In Khalet Athabah, south of Hebron, 40 new people have been displaced, most of them women and children. Israel is demolishing structures in the Yatta area of Masaf.
Meanwhile, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa signed an $80 million agreement with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Arab and international organizations to clear the rubble and make Gaza habitable again. The agreement was signed in Ramallah.
West Bank library raid
CNN reported that Israeli police raided a library in occupied East Jerusalem, confiscating books and arresting two people, including the owner, Yad Muna.
