MIDDLE EAST: U.S. and Israel reject plan agreed by Arab states proposing alternative to Trump’s Gaza ‘Riviera.’

Trump’s proposal for the U.S. to “take over” the Gaza Strip and turn it into the “Riviera of the Middle East” sparked outrage across the region and around the world last month, with some analysts warning that his plan to see Palestinians at least temporarily and possibly permanently displaced was tantamount to ethnic cleansing.

The Israeli Foreign Affairs Ministry echoed Trump’s proposal Tuesday, saying it provided an “opportunity for the Gazans to have free choice based on their free will.”

“This should be encouraged,” it added.

While Israeli officials have repeatedly suggested Trump’s plan would give Palestinians in Gaza the ability to leave the enclave freely — something they have not been able to do under Israel and Egypt’s nearly two-decade-long blockade on the territory — it has not expanded on whether they would just as easily be able to regain access to the territory.

That ought to be a big “No.”

Background: Egypt Wants to Curb-Stomp Trump’s Gaza Plan, but Who Pays for Theirs?