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Despite domestic and international criticism, U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that his plan for the long-term ownership and development of the Gaza Strip by the United States is being welcomed on all fronts. The Trump administration also defended the president's remarks, calling it a generous measure.

According to AFP and other sources on the 5th (local time), when asked by reporters at the White House about the international community's reaction to the 'Gaza plan,' President Trump replied, "Everyone loves it."

Donald Trump, President of the United States. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

After holding a summit with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the previous day, President Trump announced a plan to relocate Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and have the United States take long-term ownership and develop the area during a joint press conference.

According to The New York Times (NYT) and others on the same day, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and White House National Security Advisor Mike Waltz also supported President Trump's plan.

While visiting Guatemala, Secretary Pompeo described it as "a very generous measure and proposal," adding, "Due to unexploded ordnance and debris, there is currently no safe place for people to return and live." He further explained, "What President Trump has done is express America's willingness to intervene, clear the debris, and remove the destruction and unexploded ordnance so that people can come back and live."

However, the NYT reported that Secretary Pompeo did not specify whether those returning after the reconstruction of Gaza would be Palestinian residents.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated, "The president is willing to think outside the existing framework and find new, unique, and dynamic ways to solve problems that have felt difficult to handle," adding, "He is ready to consider all options."

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, during a briefing on the same day, addressed President Trump's remarks about deploying U.S. troops to Gaza if necessary, saying, "That does not mean deploying troops on the ground in Gaza, nor does it mean spending U.S. taxpayer money," and asserted, "It means that President Trump, the world's best negotiator, intends to reach agreements with regional partners." This was an attempt to clarify the president's remarks. She continued, "The president excludes nothing when negotiating," and "He wants to maintain leverage, and that is what he is doing now."

She also said, "The president has promised the reconstruction of Gaza and the temporary relocation of the people there. The place looks like a demolition site and has no running water," adding, "Gaza will be a place for everyone, not a specific group."

When asked whether there was a prior written plan for President Trump's proposal, Press Secretary Leavitt replied, "The plan became written when the president spoke last night and made it known to the world."

National Security Advisor Waltz described President Trump's plan that morning as "bold, fresh, and a new idea." When asked who would live in Gaza after reconstruction, he said, "Palestinians and probably many others."

Regarding the U.S. policy toward Israel and Palestine, the 'two-state solution,' he did not mention that President Trump had ended it, implying that it remains valid.

However, not only Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia but also U.S. European allies have criticized President Trump's Gaza plan. On the same day, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement through a spokesperson opposing the forced relocation of Palestinians within Gaza, calling it "a serious violation of international law and an infringement on the legitimate rights of Palestinians."

Criticism has also come from the U.S. Democratic Party, with some calling it "virtually ethnic cleansing." Democratic Representative Al Green of Texas announced plans to introduce an impeachment resolution.