Trump touts 'freedom zone' plan for Gaza in Qatar as ceasefire talks stall

President Trump dances arsenic his run opus "God Bless the U.S.A." plays connected signifier astatine the Al Udeid Air Base successful Qatar connected May 15, 2025. Win McNamee/Getty Images Europe hide caption

toggle caption

Win McNamee/Getty Images Europe

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, and AL-UDEID AIR BASE, Qatar — President Trump said connected Thursday the Gaza Strip should beryllium made into a "freedom zone," doubling down connected his proposal to displace Palestinians from the territory conscionable arsenic Israel plans a large violative and intensifies deadly airstrikes, sidesplitting much than 150 radical successful the past day, including dozens of children.

Trump is connected the past limb of a travel to the Middle East – a sojourn that did not see a halt successful Israel. He has mainly skirted the contented of the warfare successful Gaza successful his nationalist remarks during the trip, but made comments to reporters aft a roundtable with concern leaders successful Qatar.

"Gaza has been a territory of decease and demolition for galore years," Trump said. "I person concepts for Gaza that I deliberation are precise bully — marque it a state zone. Let the United States get progressive and marque it conscionable a state zone."

Israel's far-right authorities has embraced Trump's proposals connected Gaza to displace Palestinians permanently extracurricular the territory and crook it into a seaside real-estate development. Trump's latest comments connected Gaza were made portion helium was inactive successful Qatar. All Arab states person rejected the plan, and Hamas has called it taste cleansing.

Trump's remarks astir Gaza came connected the aforesaid time the fig of Palestinians killed successful Israeli attacks successful the warfare surpassed 53,000 radical — a 3rd of them children, according to Gaza's wellness ministry. Hundreds of Palestinians person been killed this week successful intensified Israeli airstrikes, according to hospitals and wellness officials contacted by NPR.

Trump described aerial images of the wide demolition from Israeli airstrikes connected Gaza.

"There's practically nary gathering standing. It's not similar you're trying to prevention something," helium said.

A antheral holds the assemblage of a kid astatine a infirmary morgue successful Beit Lahia, Gaza arsenic helium stands adjacent to the bodies of different household members killed successful Israeli airstrikes successful bluish Gaza connected May 14, 2025. Anas Baba/NPR hide caption

toggle caption

Anas Baba/NPR

Ceasefire talks stall adjacent portion Trump successful Qatar, wherever talks are happening

Only a time earlier Trump arrived successful the Middle East, Hamas freed U.S.-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander, an Israeli worker taken captive by Palestinian militants successful the Oct. 7th, 2023 onslaught connected Israel. The merchandise raised hopes that the United States could propulsion guardant a ceasefire.

But talks look stuck with nary advancement being made successful caller days, contempt the beingness of Israeli negotiators successful Qatar this week and a sojourn by Trump's Mideast Envoy Steve Witkoff to Israel connected Tuesday.

Hamas agreed to merchandise Alexander aft uncommon nonstop talks with the Trump medication successful Qatar earlier the president's circuit of the Gulf. Those talks sidestepped Israel's premier minister, who's nether expanding unit astatine location to onslaught a woody that frees hostages. Hamas wants U.S. guarantees that a woody releasing remaining Israeli hostages would beryllium successful speech for an extremity to warfare and Israel removing its troops from Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted connected lone a impermanent truce to escaped immoderate hostages. He has vowed to instrumentality to warfare aft immoderate intermission successful warring with the purpose of eliminating Hamas and disarming the group.

While successful the Gulf, Trump heard from the leaders of Saudi Arabia and Qatar connected the request to extremity the warfare successful Gaza. The Saudi crown prince made those remarks astatine a Gulf Arab leaders' acme with Trump, and Qatar's ruling emir was heard raising the contented with Trump upon his accomplishment to Doha connected Wednesday.

Israel, however, is readying an violative to instrumentality implicit much territory successful Gaza and has called up tens of thousands of reservist soldiers successful preparation. Israel besides has plans to rotation retired a U.S-backed program to distribute nutrient rations to Palestinians who would beryllium forcibly displaced to tiny zones of confederate Gaza.

Israel says its purpose is to guarantee Hamas does not entree oregon payment from aid. U.N. organizations and different assistance groups successful Gaza refuse to participate successful the caller scheme, saying it would enactment Palestinians astatine greater hazard and further displace the population.

Israel has imposed much than 2 months of blockade connected the territory, barring the introduction of each aid, including food, substance and medicine. The blockade has pushed fractional a cardinal radical successful Gaza to starvation, according to the latest review by autarkic experts connected famine. Israel's blockade has sparked wide disapproval from countries astir the world, arsenic good arsenic assistance organizations and rights groups.

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani speech to President Donald Trump astatine the Al-Udeid aerial basal connected May 15, 2025. Brendan Smialowski/AFP hide caption

toggle caption

Brendan Smialowski/AFP

Trump's absorption is connected large concern deals successful the Gulf

Trump's sojourn to the Gulf has focused connected multibillion-dollar deals that boost concern successful U.S. companies, similar an bid signed by Qatar connected Wednesday for up to 210 Boeing airplanes.

Major deals were besides signed during his two-day halt successful Saudi Arabia this week successful exertion and AI, but the bulk of investments and income to Gulf states are successful U.S. defence and weaponry.

Trump gave rally-style remarks connected Thursday to thousands of U.S. troops stationed successful Qatar's Al-Udeid Air Base, falsely telling them helium had won the 2020 election, and describing the Biden medication arsenic "evil."

"You are, without a doubt, the top warring unit successful the past of the world," helium said, adapting his run slogan to archer troops they were "making America large again" and describing his administration's efforts to extremity diverseness initiatives successful the military.

"We don't attraction if you're politically correct," helium said.

The sprawling aerial basal has been utilized by the U.S. for airstrikes against the Islamic State radical and different operations successful the Middle East. The U.S. besides has the Navy's 5th Fleet positioned disconnected the seashore of Bahrain, and troops contiguous astatine bases successful the UAE, wherever the president is slated to circular retired his Gulf circuit connected Friday.

Aya Batrawy reported from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.