The head of the UN refugee agency expressed surprise on Wednesday over President Donald Trump’s unexpected proposal for the United States to take control of the Gaza Strip and resettle its residents.
Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, told AFP in an interview in Brussels that the details of the proposal were unclear, making it challenging to comment on such a sensitive matter.
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“It’s a very surprising idea, but we need to understand its concrete implications,” Grandi said.
Trump made the announcement during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was visiting the White House for talks. The proposal lacked specifics, with Trump suggesting that the U.S. would transform the war-torn Gaza Strip by clearing unexploded bombs and rubble, and redeveloping the area economically.
Grandi also mentioned that the UNHCR was in the process of renegotiating U.S. support after Washington froze most of its aid.
“This situation is very fluid at the moment, which poses a problem for us, as we are an organization that cannot afford to wait too long,” Grandi stated.
He added that the U.S. had been responsible for up to 40 percent of the funding received by the UNHCR.
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