Nigel Farage says Donald Trump's plan to 'take over Gaza' sounds 'very appealing'
5 February 2025, 16:32 | Updated: 5 February 2025, 17:03
Nigel Farage has backed Donald Trump's plans for the US to take over Gaza.
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The US president said today he wants to take over Gaza and turn it into the "Riviera" of the Middle East.
The Reform UK leader was asked what he makes of these plans during a news conference on Wednesday.
He replied: "I love that notion".
Mr Farage added: "The thought that wealthy, wonderful thriving place with well paid jobs, casinos, nightlife... it all sounds very appealing to me."
The Clacton-on-Sea MP said he is "not here to answer for everything the Trump administration has to say", but said the American president has "got off on the most extraordinary start".
Read more: Trump’s plan to ‘take over’ Gaza strip and create ‘Riviera of the Middle East’ rejected by Britain
Read more: Trump can’t erase us: Palestinians will rebuild, but we’ll never leave our land
He added: "Promises made, promises kept."
During a visit from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump announced plans for US ownership of the Gaza Strip, declaring "the Gaza thing has never worked."
"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 Israel would return "peace" and "prosperity" to the region going forward and proposed a US-owned land where Palestinians could live "peacefully".
While Mr Farage has thrown his weight behind the plans, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has slammed Trump's comments, which have seen Trump accused of "calling for ethnic cleansing", with many countries reject the plans.
Sir Keir said in the House of Commons that Palestinians "must be allowed home" but that the "most important issue" at the moment is making sure the ceasefire in Gaza between Hamas and Israel holds.
"Thy must be allowed home, they must be allowed to rebuild, and we should be with them in that rebuild on the way to a two-state solution," he added
