The Trump administration appeared to backtrack on Wednesday following outrage over President Donald Trump’s controversial plan to take control of Gaza.
Amid growing protests from Palestinians, Arab governments, and international bodies, Trump’s Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, clarified that any potential transfer of Gazans would be temporary, reports the AFP.
The White House further distanced itself from the plan, emphasising that there were no commitments to deploy US troops.
Trump, during a White House press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, had caused audible gasps when he unveiled the proposal, claiming, “The US will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it, too. We'll own it.” Despite offering few specifics on how the US could manage to relocate over two million Palestinians or take control of the devastated region, Trump maintained that “everybody loves” the plan.
Rubio sought to defend the idea, describing it as “a generous move” aimed at rebuilding Gaza. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt subsequently downplayed the proposal, asserting that Washington would not fund Gaza's reconstruction efforts and that US involvement would not involve “boots on the ground.”
The United Nations strongly condemned the plan, with Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warning that any forced displacement of Palestinians would amount to “ethnic cleansing.” Guterres’s spokesperson further stressed that the rights of Palestinians to live on their own land were inalienable.
Leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi denounced the proposal, declaring that any forced displacement would constitute a “serious violation of international law,” with destabilising repercussions for neighbouring countries like Egypt and Jordan.
Iran's foreign ministry also expressed outrage, with spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei calling the proposal a “shocking” continuation of Israel’s plan to annihilate the Palestinian people.
The plan faced swift rejection from Palestinian officials and rights groups. Hamas, which has controlled Gaza since 2007, branded the proposal as “racist” and “aggressive.” Ahmed Halasa, a Gaza resident, declared defiantly, “They can do whatever they want, but we will remain steadfast in our homeland.”
Netanyahu, in a later interview, praised Trump’s willingness to think “outside the box,” calling the proposal “remarkable” and suggesting that Palestinians might eventually return to Gaza after it is rebuilt. However, this suggestion further fuelled concerns of forced displacement.
The ongoing conflict in Gaza, ignited by Hamas’s attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, has resulted in significant loss of life. According to Israeli officials, at least 1,210 people have died in Israel, the majority civilians. In Gaza, Israeli retaliatory strikes have claimed at least 47,518 lives, mostly civilians, according to figures from the Hamas-run health ministry.
This latest proposal marks yet another chapter in the volatile US involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with global leaders urging for a more balanced approach to the region's ongoing humanitarian crisis.
