President Donald Trump in questioning about his bold plan to rebuild the war-torn strip, claimed that no one would be “expelled” from Gaza.
“No one has expelled Palestinians,” Trump told White House reporters Thursday.
Egypt, which led negotiations on an Arab-led plan to rebuild Gaza, welcomed the president's comments.
“This position reflects an understanding of the need to prevent further deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the importance of finding a fair and sustainable solution to the Palestinian issue,” the Foreign Ministry said.
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When he met Ireland's Taoisiech (Prime Minister) Michael Martin, Trump said to his right that he “don't want to expel Palestinians” from Gaza. (Reuters/Kevin Lamarck)
In February, Trump proposed that the US “take over” war-torn Gaza.
“The US will take over the Gaza Strip and we will work with it,” Trump said. “We own it and are responsible for dismantling all dangerous, unexplored bombs and other weapons on the site.”
He said at the time that Gaza's population of around 2 million would relocate “forever.” When asked if it would be forced, he insisted that the Palestinians did not want to live in Gaza's tile ble.
Trump claims that Palestinians do not want to live in Gaza's tiled bleed. (Majdi Fathi/Nurphoto via Getty Images)
“We're going to move them to a beautiful place where we have a new home. They can live safely there. There are doctors, medical care and all of them,” he said when he met King Abdullah of Jordan last month. “And I think that's great.”
However, finding a Middle Eastern country willing to embrace the Palestinian refugee masses has proven difficult. Trump said he would not force him after suffering a fall from Egyptian and Jordanian leaders in his vision for Palestinian-free Gaza.
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“The way to do that is my plan. I think it's a plan that really works. But I'm not forcing it. I'm just going to sit down and recommend it,” he told Fox News in February.
A Palestinian man walks near a tiled ble of a house destroyed during an Israeli attack in Rafa, Gaza Strip, March 13, 2025. (Reuters/hatem khaled tpx image image)
Earlier this month, Arab leaders agreed to a $53 million Egypt-led reconstruction plan, but the White House refused. National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said the Arab proposal “does not address the reality that Gaza is currently uninhabitable and that its residents cannot live humanely in a territory covered in shrapnel and misprone faction.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described Trump's plan as a “revolutionary and creative vision.”
However, Hamas also welcomed Trump's assurance that Palestinians would not be expelled.
“If the US President Trump statement represents a retreat from the idea of driving away the people of the Gaza Strip, they are welcome,” Hamas spokesman Hazem Kassem said in a statement.
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“We call for this position to be strengthened by having an obligation to implement all the terms of the ceasefire agreement in Israel's occupation,” he added.
White House envoy Steve Witkov is in Qatar for intensive consultations in the next phase of the ceasefire agreement. Israel wants a two-month hiatus in combat in exchange for about half of the remaining living hostages. Hamas is calling for a complete halt of hostilities.
