Hamas today (Monday) rejected the US plan to control the Gaza Strip, evacuate its residents, and transform it into an economic and tourist zone, following reports published by the American newspaper “The Washington Post.”

Bassam Naeem, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, said in press statements: “Gaza is not for sale,” adding, “It is not just a city on the map or forgotten geography, but part of the greater Palestinian homeland.”

Naeem confirmed Hamas and the Palestinians’ rejection of the US plan, which calls for relocating all the besieged Palestinian population outside Gaza under American supervision for 10 years to turn it into a tourist area and an advanced technology center.

Hamas officials stated that the movement has not received any official communication regarding such plans but heard about them through media outlets.

The Washington Post reported yesterday that the administration of US President Donald Trump plans to relocate some Gaza residents to secured areas inside the Strip, explaining that the Trump administration will establish a trust fund to resettle Gaza residents both abroad and inside.

The newspaper indicated that the Trump administration wants to turn Gaza into a tourist hub under US guardianship for 10 years, noting that Trump’s plans for Gaza include the complete resettlement of its population.

The 38-page plan calls for voluntary departure of residents to another country or to restricted areas within the Strip during the reconstruction period.