The US administration has backtracked from the earlier stance of President Donald Trump after he said he was considering troop mobilisation and the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza to rebuild the occupied enclave.
Shortly after, his comments received widespread backlash from the international community, with the UN chief warning against "ethnic cleansing" in the Palestinian territory.
After receiving a wave of criticism from Palestinians, Arab governments, and world leaders, Trump's Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, said that any expulsion of Palestinians would be temporary, while the White House insisted there was no commitment to sending troops to Gaza.
Trump, who remains at the centre of global politics for his “on-and-off trade war,” has insisted "everybody loves" the plan.
Also read: 'We will own Gaza,' says Trump after Netanyahu meeting
Trump on Tuesday declared, "The US will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it, too. We'll own it."
Rubio said the idea "was not meant as hostile," describing it as a "generous move—the offer to rebuild and to be in charge of the rebuilding."
Meanwhile, the White House press, Karoline Leavitt, later said Washington would not fund Gaza's reconstruction after more than 15 months of Israeli bombing had reduced much of the territory to rubble.
US involvement "does not mean boots on the ground" or that "American taxpayers will be funding this effort," Leavitt said.
A spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said it was "essential to avoid any form of ethnic cleansing."
Stephane Dujarric, previewing the UN chief's speech later Wednesday, told reporters, "Any forced displacement of people is tantamount to ethnic cleansing."
Leavitt said Trump wanted Palestinians to be only "temporarily relocated" out of Gaza. "It's a demolition site right now. It's not a liveable place for any human being," she said.
Also read: Rubio skips G20 in South Africa over 'anti-American' sentiment claims
Palestinian officials, Arab leaders, and rights groups swiftly condemned Trump's remarks. Hamas, which has governed Gaza since 2007, rejected the proposal, branding it "racist," "aggressive," and inflammatory.
The European Union stressed that "Gaza is an integral part of a future Palestinian state." The Arab League called Trump's proposal a "recipe for instability."
Israeli human rights group B'Tselem condemned Trump's plan as "deranged and reprehensible," calling it a "moral stain on all involved."
So far Israel's war on Gaza has killed at least 61,709 people since October 2023, according to Gaza's health ministry. The figure includes 17,881 children and 214 new-born infants.
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