ReutersUS President Donald Trump’s proposal to resettle Gaza’s population would only be temporary, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said.
It follows Trump’s suggestion that the US could “take over” Gaza and resettle around two million Palestinians living there – an idea that has drawn criticism from the UN, human rights groups and Arab leaders.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt further clarified Trump’s comments, saying the US was not planning to put “boots on the ground” in the territory.
Meanwhile, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has said Gazans “should be allowed to enjoy freedom of exit and immigration”, but gave few details on how this would work.
On a trip to Guatemala, Marco Rubio said Trump’s proposal was not “hostile”, but a “generous move”, showing “the willingness of the United States to become responsible for the reconstruction of that area”.
He said the idea was for Gazans to leave the territory for an “interim” period while debris was cleared and reconstruction took place.
Under international law, attempts to forcibly transfer populations from occupied territory are strictly prohibited.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told journalists on Wednesday that the president was committed to rebuilding Gaza and “temporarily” relocating its residents during the process.
Trump said on Tuesday the displacement would be permanent.
Leavitt also said the president had not committed to putting “boots on the ground” in the territory but declined to rule out the use of US troops there.
Her comments come after Trump proposed taking control of the Gaza Strip and redeveloping it into “the Riviera of the Middle East”.
“The US will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it too,” Trump said on Tuesday during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who called the idea “worth paying attention to”.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz also praised Trump’s proposal, adding that Gazans “should be allowed to enjoy freedom of exit and immigration” by land, sea or air.
He said countries like Spain, Ireland and Norway – critics of the war – “are legally obligated to allow every Gazan resident to enter their territory”.
He did not explain how the proposal would work – or whether Gazans would be able to return after reconstruction.
Spain’s foreign minister has rejected the suggestion.
