Key points
- Marco Rubio says any transfer of Gazans would be temporary
- White House says there was no commitment to sending US troops
- UN warns against “ethnic cleansing” in Gaza
- Palestinians, world leaders reject Trump’s Gaza Plan
WASHINGTON, United States: US President Donald Trump’s administration appeared to backtrack Wednesday after his proposal to take over Gaza sparked uproar, with the United Nations warning against “ethnic cleansing” in the Palestinian territory.
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 said there was no commitment to sending US troops.
Trump, however, insisted “everybody loves” the plan, which he announced to audible gasps during a White House press conference with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“Does not mean boots on the ground”
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.”
Rubio said the idea “was not meant as hostile,” describing it as a “generous move — the offer to rebuild and to be in charge of the rebuilding.”
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.
US involvement “does not mean boots on the ground” or that “American taxpayers will be funding this effort,” Leavitt said.
Ethnic cleansing in Gaza
The United Nations warned against ethnic cleansing in Gaza. “At its essence, the exercise of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people is about the right of Palestinians to simply live as human beings in their own land,” Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a speech to a UN committee that deals with the rights of Palestinians.
Guterres’s spokesman Stephane Dujarric, previewing the UN chief’s speech, told reporters: “Any forced displacement of people is tantamount to ethnic cleansing.”
Presidents Emmanuel Macron of France and Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt said any forced displacement of the Palestinians would be unacceptable.
“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.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei called it a “shocking” plan and “a continuation of the Zionist regime’s (Israel) targeted plan to completely annihilate the Palestinian nation.”
Palestinian officials, Arab leaders, and rights groups swiftly condemned Trump’s remarks.
Hamas, which took control of Gaza in 2007, rejected the proposal, branding it “racist” and “aggressive”.
Leavitt said Trump wanted Palestinians to be only “temporarily relocated” out of Gaza.
“It’s not a liveable place for any human being,” she said.
Gazans to stay steadfast
Israel’s military offensive has left much of Gaza in ruins, including schools, hospitals, and most civil infrastructure.
Rights group Human Rights Watch said the destruction of Gaza “reflects a calculated Israeli policy to make parts of the strip unlivable.”
Trump’s proposed plan “would move the US from being complicit in war crimes to direct perpetration of atrocities,” said Lama Fakih, an HRW regional director.
Trump, who also suggested he might visit Gaza, appeared to imply it would not be rebuilt for Palestinians.
But Leavitt later said he had been “very clear” that he expected Egypt, Jordan, and others “to accept Palestinian refugees, temporarily, so that we can rebuild their home.”
Even before Tuesday’s explosive proposal, Trump had suggested residents of Gaza should move to Egypt and Jordan. Palestinians, however, have vowed to stay on.
“They can do whatever they want, but we will remain steadfast in our homeland,” said 41-year-old Gaza resident Ahmed Halasa.
The Gaza war began on October 8, 2023, while Israel’s response has killed at least 47,518 people in Gaza, the majority civilians, according to the health ministry. The United Nations considers the figures reliable.
