Facing a wave of criticism from Palestinians, Arab governments and world leaders, Trump's Secretary of State Marco Rubio said any transfer of Gazans would be temporary, while the White House insisted there was no commitment to sending US troops.
Offering few details on how the United States could remove more than two million Palestinians or control the war-battered territory, Trump declared Tuesday: “The US will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it, too. We’ll own it.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later said Washington would not fund Gaza's reconstruction after more than 15 months of war between US ally Israel and Palestinian group Hamas.
The United Nations warned against ethnic cleansing in Gaza.
Stephane Dujarric, previewing the UN chief’s speech, told reporters: “Any forced displacement of people is tantamount to ethnic cleansing.”
“It would be a serious violation of international law, an obstacle to the two-state solution and a major destabilising force for Egypt and Jordan,“ the two leaders said, according to a statement from the French president’s office.
“It’s a demolition site right now. It’s not a liveable place for any human being,“ she said.
Hamas, which took control of Gaza in 2007, rejected the proposal, branding it “racist”, “aggressive” and inflammatory.
Trump has repeatedly claimed credit for sealing a ceasefire agreement that took effect last month.
Netanyahu, in Washington for talks on the second phase of the truce, welcomed Trump's idea, saying it could “change history”.
But Leavitt later said he had been “very clear” that “he expects our partners in the region, particularly Egypt and Jordan, to accept Palestinian refugees, temporarily, so that we can rebuild their home.”
It is not the first time Trump has suggested Palestinians should leave Gaza. In recent days, he has cited Egypt and Jordan as possible destinations, but people from the territory have vowed to stay.
For Palestinians, any attempt to push them out of Gaza recalls the “Nakba”, or “catastrophe” -- the mass displacement of Palestinians during Israel’s creation in 1948.
“I really like what he said, but in my wildest dreams... it’s hard for me to believe it will happen, but who knows,“ said Refael, a 65-year-old massage therapist.
Jordan’s King Abdullah II, meeting with Abbas, rejected “any attempts” to take control of Palestinian territories and displace people.
In Washington, Netanyahu hailed Trump as Israel’s “greatest friend” and praised his “willingness to think outside the box”.
“We will end the war by winning the war,“ Netanyahu said, vowing to secure the release of all hostages held in Gaza.
But Riyadh said it would not formalise ties with Israel without a Palestinian state and rejected any “attempts to displace the Palestinian people from their land”.
The United Arab Emirates rejected “any attempts of displacement” saying “regional stability can only be attained through the two-state solution”, while Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said: “We are opposed to the forced transfer of the residents of Gaza.”
Israeli human rights group B'Tselem condemned Trump's plan as “deranged and reprehensible”, calling it a “moral stain on all involved”.
Israel's retaliatory response has killed at least 47,518 people in Gaza, the majority civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. The United Nations considers the figures reliable.
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