US Senators in Israel reject Trump's plan for Gaza, say Arabs should offer alternative

(Patria) - US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham on Monday rejected President Donald Trump's proposal to take over Gaza and expel Palestinians, while Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal said he expects Arab states to present a viable alternative, Reuters reported.

The prominent lawmakers were among a bipartisan group of US senators who earlier met in Tel Aviv with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who on Sunday reiterated his support for Trump's controversial vision for Gaza.

Israeli officials have embraced Trump's proposal, and Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered the military to prepare a plan that would allow Palestinians in Gaza to leave voluntarily.

But Graham, a longtime Trump ally and key Republican in Congress with influence over foreign policy and national security issues, told reporters there is little appetite in the Senate "for America to take over Gaza in any way, shape or form."

Blumenthal simply said the plan "does not work."

Arab officials have condemned Trump's proposal, while some critics have said it amounts to ethnic cleansing. Netanyahu said on Monday that Palestinians in Gaza should be given the choice to leave.

Katz said on Monday that the ministry would establish a directorate for the voluntary departure of Palestinians from Gaza.

"The only thing President Trump did was start a discussion that was long overdue," Graham said, adding that Arab states have "woken up" to find a better alternative for Gaza.

Officials from Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, Jordan and Egypt are expected to meet this month to discuss the future of Gaza, hoping to devise a plan to counter Trump's proposal, which has shaken nearly all Arab capitals.

Blumenthal said Jordan's King Abdullah had assured him that Arab states would present a plan covering normalization with Israel, Palestinian self-determination, regional defense arrangements and Israel's security.

"If those components are part of a real plan, it could be a game-changer in the region," he said.