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White House walks back Trump comments to 'own' Gaza & displace Palestinians
Senior officials in the White House were reportedly "shocked" by Trump's proposal.
The White House has walked back proposals floated by the United States (U.S.) President Donald Trump to "level" the Gaza Strip and "own" the territory.
On Feb. 5, 2025 (Singapore time) during a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said he would possibly send troops to the area.
He also spoke of displacing millions of Palestinians to neighbouring Egypt and Jordan, perhaps permanently — something he said would happen voluntarily.
Just a day later on Feb. 6, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt scrambled together a press briefing to clarify that any displacement of Palestinians would only be temporary, The New York Times (NYT) reported.
Leavitt's comments during the briefing contradicted earlier statements made by Trump on Feb. 5, about the US taking a "long-term ownership position" in Gaza.
Leavitt also told reporters on Feb. 6 that Trump "has not committed to putting boots on the ground in Gaza".
Hastily written proposal
NYT reported that Trump's proposal for the U.S. to take ownership of Gaza shocked senior members of the White House and his government.
According to sources with knowledge of the discussions who spoke to NYT, the administration "had not done even the most basic planning to examine the feasibility of the idea".
"There was little beyond an idea inside the president’s head," NYT wrote.
Trump's plans for Gaza were reportedly also a surprise to Netanyahu.
So improbable, it might have been a negotiating tactic
Some observers believe that Trump's proposal, given its outlandishness, may have been a negotiating tactic.
Israeli and Palestinian analysts believe that Trump's proposals may have been crafted to force compromises from both Hamas and Arab leaders, NYT reported.
Former Israeli Foreign Minister Shlomo Ben-Ami told NPR:
"It's somebody that came from the outer space and tries to impose a solution which is, you know, detached from a context."
'Riviera in the Middle East'
Trump initially dreamed of rebuilding Gaza as the "Riviera of the Middle East".
The term "Riviera" was meant to evoke the Mediterranean coast of southeastern France, known for its glamorous beach resorts. Gaza, too, is a coastal city with a beachfront opening into the Mediterranean Sea.
Trump told reporters on Feb. 5:
“You build really good quality housing, like a beautiful town, like some place where they can live and not die, because Gaza is a guarantee that they’re going to end up dying."
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on Feb. 6, tried to walk back Trump's proposal, claiming that Trump was only looking to "clear the debris, clean the place up from all the destruction".
'Truly horrifying': Halimah Yacob
Trump's comments were met with backlash from around the world.
Egypt and Jordan both opposed Trump's plans to relocate Palestinians within their countries, citing security concerns and the Palestinians' right of return to their homes.
The Saudi Arabia foreign ministry also said Palestinians should not be moved from their lands in Gaza.
Former President of Singapore, Halimah Yacob, for instance, criticised Trump's remarks as "truly horrifying" and noted they were in "clear violation of international law".
Top photo from Anadolu/AFP & UN News.
