The head of the United Nations refugee agency, Filippo Grandi, has expressed concern over former U.S. President Donald Trump’s unexpected proposal for the United States to assume control of the Gaza Strip and resettle its population.
Speaking in an interview in Brussels on Wednesday, Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said the details of Trump’s proposal remained unclear, making it difficult to assess the implications of such a “sensitive issue.”
“It’s something very surprising, but we have to see what it means in concrete terms,” Grandi said.
Trump’s remarks, made during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Tuesday, were met with audible gasps. While lacking specifics, the former president suggested removing unexploded ordnance and rubble from the war-torn enclave and launching a large-scale economic redevelopment effort to transform Gaza.
Grandi also addressed the ongoing negotiations between the UNHCR and Washington regarding U.S. financial support. The Biden administration recently implemented a sweeping freeze on most U.S. aid, including funding for UN refugee programs.
“All of this is very fluid at the moment, which is a problem, because we are an organisation that cannot wait too long,” Grandi noted.
The U.S. has traditionally been one of the largest donors to the UNHCR, contributing up to 40 percent of the agency’s funding. The potential reduction in financial support, coupled with Trump’s controversial proposal, has added uncertainty to an already volatile situation.
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