Anthony Albanese refuses to give ‘commentary’ on Donald Trump’s world-altering plan to take over Gaza

Anthony Albanese has refused to weigh in on Donald Trump’s astonishing announcement the United States would take over and own Gaza, instead saying he would not provide a “running commentary”.

Despite it being put to him that Mr Trump’s announcement was a significant foreign policy announcement that could have wide-ranging implications, Mr Albanese would not be drawn, and reiterated Australia’s bipartisan approach to a two-state solution.

“Australia’s position is the same as it was this morning, as it was last year and it was 10 years ago and it was under the Howard government,” he said.

“I’m not going to, as Australia’s Prime Minister, give a daily commentary on statements by the US President. My job is to support Australia’s position.”

Asked whether avoiding commentary undermined Australia’s credibility when speaking about violations of international law, Mr Albanese reiterated he would not give a “daily commentary” on Mr Trump’s statements..

“I can’t be stronger than saying what Australia’s bipartisan position has been for a long period of time across multiple governments, across many decades,” he said.

Mr Trump, alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington, said after the US took over the Gaza Strip it would redevelop it into a booming hub that could become the “Riviera of the Middle East”.

Amid a fragile ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, the President warned the Palestinian people would need to be “relocated to other countries” for his plan to work and left open the possibility of sending US troops to realise his vision.

Asked if Australia would send troops to support a hypothetical US operation, Mr Albanese would not be drawn, opting to answer only the second part of the question regarding rebuilding Gaza.

To that, he said Australia had not received any such request, but Australia was “willing to assist getting aid into Gaza to provide that support, we have done so”.

Mr Albanese was asked on Wednesday if he had spoken to Mr Trump since the President’s inauguration, but he did not respond.

The overall response to Mr Trump’s statement from within Parliament was muted, with both Labor and the Coalition treading carefully on any potential issues of contention with the new White House.

Shadow foreign affairs minister David Coleman sidestepped the question, turning his political ire instead on Mr Albanese. “The Prime Minister has shamefully abandoned our democratic ally Israel by walking away from our decades-long bipartisan position at the United Nations,” he told the Nightly.

“We will await further details on President Trump’s proposals. We all want to see peace for people in the Middle East, and the Government should be working closely with our allies in the United States and Israel.”

Liberal senator Dave Sharma, a former ambassador to Israel, was more robust, stressing he was against “any state unilaterally going and acquiring the territory of another”.

But he urged caution about taking Mr Trump’s words literally, pointing to the President’s comments around Greenland and the Panama canal, where he has also signalled the his intentions to exert more control.

“It seems to be the basis or the starting point for a subsequent negotiation, which is about securing US interests,” he told Sky News.

“My own view is that Palestinian people have a right to self-determination in their own land and it has always been envisaged since the time of the first UN partition plan in the 1940s that Gaza and the West Bank would form the basis of a future Palestinian state.”

Greens leader Adam Bandt was less guarded about his comments.

“When Donald Trump was elected, the Greens said he would be a threat to peace and democracy. His threat to take over Gaza earlier today is proof of that. This is wrong, it’s illegal, and it’s the end of international law,” he said on X.

Mr Trump’s comments also sparked criticism and pushback within the United States and the Middle East.

Shortly after Mr Trump’s press conference, Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry affirmed that its position on the establishment of Palestinian state “is firm and unwavering.”

The Saudi statement reiterated its “complete rejection of any infringement on the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, whether through Israeli settlement policies, annexation of Palestinian lands or attempts to displace the Palestinian people from their land.”

“The duty of the international community today is to work to alleviate the severe human suffering that has been inflicted upon the Palestinian people, who will remain committed to their land and will not move from it,” the ministry said.

Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian envoy to the United Nations, said Palestinians wishes should be respected if they wished to return to Gaza.

“Our country and our home is the Gaza Strip,” he said. “For those who want to send them to a happy, nice place, let them go back, you know, to their original homes inside Israel. There are nice places there and they will be happy to return to these places.”

Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri condemned the proposal and warned it would be “a recipe for generating chaos and tension in the region because the people of Gaza will not allow such plans to pass.”

Democratic politicians also came out swinging against Mr Trump’s remarks.

“He’s totally lost it,” said Democratic senator Chris Murphy on X. “A US invasion of Gaza would lead to the slaughter of thousands of US troops and decades of war in the Middle East. It’s like a bad, sick joke,” he said.

The senator later signed off with: “It’s been a long day full of a ton of bulls**t. So I’m pouring myself a drink.”

Back in Canberra, Justin Bassi, Executive Director of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute offered a more optimistic take.

“The best and in fact the only viable solution resulting in regional stability and enabling security for both Israelis and Palestinians is for the US to play a leading role,” he said.