Trump softens Gaza stance, says Palestinians will not be expelled from the war-torn territory
President Donald Trump insisted that no one would be "expelled" from Gaza, amid questions about his audacious plan to rebuild the war-torn strip.
"Nobody’s expelling any Palestinians," Trump told reporters at the White House on Thursday while meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin.
Egypt, which led negotiations on an Arab-led plan to rebuild Gaza, welcomed the president’s comment.
"This position reflects an understanding of the need to prevent further deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the importance of finding fair, sustainable solutions to the Palestinian issue," theEgyptian foreign ministry said.
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In February, Trump proposed that the U.S. "take over" war-torn Gaza.
"The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it, too," Trump stated. "We'll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous, unexplored bombs and other weapons on the site."
He had said at the time that Gaza’s population of about 2 million would be "permanently" relocated. Asked whether that would be done by force, he claimed no Palestinians wanted to live among the rubble in Gaza.
"We’re moving them to a beautiful location where they have new homes, where they can live safely, where they’ll have doctors and medical and all of those things," he said while meeting with King Abdullah of Jordan last month. "And I think it’s going to be great."
But finding a Middle Eastern nation willing to take in masses of Palestinian refugees has proven difficult. After receiving pushback from Egyptian and Jordanian leaders on his vision for a Gaza without Palestinians, Trump said he would not "force it."
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"The way to do it is my plan. I think that’s the plan that really works. But I’m not forcing it. I’m just going to sit back and recommend it," he told Fox News in February.
Earlier this month, Arab leaders agreed on a $53 million Egyptian-led reconstruction plan, but the White House rejected it. National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said the Arab proposal "does not address the reality that Gaza is currently uninhabitable and residents cannot humanely live in a territory covered in debris and unexploded ordnance."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described Trump’s plan as a "revolutionary, creative vision."
But Hamas also welcomed Trump's assurance that Palestinians would not be expelled.
"If US President Trump’s statements represent a retreat from any idea of displacing the people of the Gaza Strip, they are welcomed," Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem said in the statement.
"We call for this position to be reinforced by obligating the Israeli occupation to implement all the terms of the ceasefire agreements," he added.
White House envoy Steve Witkoff is in Qatar for intensive talks on the next phase of the ceasefire agreement. Israel wants a two-month pause in fighting in exchange for about half of the remaining living hostages. Hamas is pushing for a full cessation of hostilities.