Trump while meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin, said "nobody wants to expel Palestinians" from Gaza. (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)
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.
Palestinian men walk near the rubble of houses in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, Mar. 13, 2025. (Reuters/Hatem Khaled/TPX Images of the Day)
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.
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"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.
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