Most Gaza residents are the descendants of Palestinian refugees driven to the enclave in a 1948 war. They harbor a deep fear of being uprooted again, and President Trump's remarks struck a raw nerve.

President Donald Trump said the U.S. would take over war-ravaged Gaza and create a "Riviera of the Middle East" after resettling Palestinians elsewhere, shattering decades of U.S. policy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and drawing regional condemnation.

President Trump's announced plan for the U.S. to take over Gaza is being met with rejection and dismissal in the Middle East. Arwa Damon, president and founder of the International Network for Aid, Relief and Assistance,