Gaza residents receive aid as U.S. discusses takeover

Aid trucks drove through a bombed out neighbourhood in Rafah, Gaza.

Children waited eagerly to jump on to the back of the trucks as they slowed down near the rubble, taking bags of aid and throwing them to their awaiting peers.

With fighting in Gaza paused, Palestinians are appealing for billions of dollars in emergency aid - from heavy machinery to clear rubble to tents and caravans to house people made homeless by Israeli bombardment.

One official from the Palestinian Authority estimated immediate funding needs of $6.5 billion for temporary housing for Gaza's more than two million people, even before the huge task of long-term reconstruction begins.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz ordered the army to prepare a plan to allow the "voluntary departure" of residents from the Gaza strip, Israeli media reported.

The instruction followed U.S. President Donald Trump's shock announcement that the United States plans to take over Gaza, resettle the Palestinians living there and transform the territory into the "Riviera of the Middle East".

US President Donald Trump's proposal for the U.S. to take over Gaza and transfer Palestinians out of the enclave was defended by his top aides, while it drew widespread condemnation around the globe.

Barely two weeks in the job, Trump shattered decades of U.S. policy with a vaguely worded announcement saying he envisioned transforming Gaza into the "Riviera of the Middle East" after nearly 16 months of Israeli bombardment devastated the coastal enclave and killed more than 47,000 people, according to Palestinian tallies.

Trump frequently asserted during the 2024 election campaign and since returning to office that he would end what he called "ridiculous" wars and prevent others from starting.

Trump said he and his team had been discussing his proposal with Jordan, Egypt and other regional