The head of the United Nations refugee agency expressed surprise on Wednesday at President Donald Trump’s unexpected proposal for the United States to take control of the Gaza Strip and resettle its population.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, stated in an interview with AFP in Brussels that the proposal was unclear, making it difficult to provide a comprehensive comment on such a “sensitive issue.”
“It’s something very surprising, but we have to see what it means in concrete terms,” Grandi said.
Trump’s announcement, which caused audible reactions during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, suggested that the US would work to “redevelop” the war-torn Gaza Strip by removing unexploded bombs and rubble. However, the proposal lacked specific details.
Grandi also mentioned that his agency, the UNHCR, was in the process of “renegotiating” US support following Washington’s decision to freeze most US aid.
“All of this is very fluid at the moment, which is a problem, because we are an organisation that cannot wait too long,” Grandi remarked.
He noted that the US accounted for up to 40 percent of all contributions received by the UNHCR.
