US officials walk back some Trump statements on Gaza takeover

Officials from Donald Trump's administration have come forward to clarify his earlier remarks about "taking over" the Gaza Strip and displacing its Palestinian residents. These officials have attempted to downplay President Trump's statements, emphasizing that his focus is on reconstruction rather than actual occupation. This clarification aims to mitigate the potential diplomatic fallout from the initial comments.

Trump made the explosive remarks during a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, suggesting the expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza, possibly sending in American troops, and then developing the area into a "Middle East Riviera" to attract tourists. This vision has sparked widespread concern and controversy, raising questions about its feasibility and ethical implications.

However, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated at a press conference in Guatemala that Trump was simply proposing to rebuild the area, not claiming ownership of it. Similarly, U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff reportedly told Republican senators at a closed-door luncheon that Trump "doesn't want to send any U.S. troops to the ground, and doesn't want to spend any American money in Gaza." These statements suggest a divergence between Trump's initial pronouncements and the administration's actual plans.

Trump's proposal has been met with strong condemnation from Palestinians, Arab nations, and most of the international community. The Geneva Conventions prohibit the forced transfer of populations, and both the United States and Israel have ratified the conventions. Saudi Arabia rejected any attempt to displace Palestinians from their land within hours of Trump's announcement, stating that it would not establish relations with Israel until a Palestinian state is established. The Saudi Foreign Ministry reiterated "its complete rejection of any measures that violate the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, whether through Israel's settlement policies, annexation of Palestinian land, or attempts to displace the Palestinian people from their land."

Democratic Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, the only Palestinian in Congress, also condemned the statement, saying: "Palestinians are not going anywhere." Tlaib wrote on X: "This president is only able to spew this deranged nonsense because Congress has bipartisan support for funding a genocide and ethnic cleansing. It is time for my two-state solution colleagues to speak up." Her remarks underscore the deep divisions and strong emotions surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.