Secretary of State Marco Rubio said other countries need to develop their own ideas for the Gaza Strip.
Appearing on SiriusXM Patriot, Rubio defended President Donald Trump's idea to build resorts on the Gaza Strip, turning it into the "Riviera of the Middle East." Countries like Australia, New Zealand, Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia have rejected the idea.
"Donald Trump is the only one who's stood up and said, 'I'm willing to help do it,'" Rubio said. "All these other leaders, they're going to have to step up. If they've got a better idea, then now is the time.
"Now is the time for the other governments and other powers in the region — some of these very rich countries — to basically say, OK, we'll do it. We're going to pay for this; we're going to step forward; we're going to be the ones that take charge. None of them is offering to do it."
Trump said at a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the U.S. would take over the Gaza Strip.
"We'll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site, level the site, and get rid of the destroyed buildings, level it out, create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs," Trump said.
Rubio said Trump pointed out all the damage Hamas has done to Gaza from hiding in tunnels.
"That's a place where there's all kinds of unexploded munitions and bombs that Hamas has that's been used in the conflict," Rubio said. "For anybody to be able to live there, you've got to clean all that out of there even before you begin the process of removing rubble and debris and rebuilding housing, like permanent structures. Who's going to do that?"