U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he has rejected the plan to relocate Palestinian residents and for the United States to take control of the Gaza Strip. This appears to be a step back following backlash from the Arab world.
A 'presidential official photo' resembling the mugshot taken when Donald Trump, the President-elect of the United States, was indicted in Georgia in 2023. Yonhap News
On the 22nd (local time), President Trump said in a radio interview with Fox News, "(The Gaza development plan) is just my plan. I liked my plan and thought it was good," adding, "I think it makes sense, but I’m not forcing it. I’m stepping back and just watching comfortably while making suggestions."
As criticism continued over the plan to take control of Gaza, President Trump’s tone seemed to soften. On the 4th, Trump proposed relocating Palestinian residents of Gaza to other Arab countries and turning Gaza into a Mediterranean resort. However, this sparked backlash from neighboring Arab countries that support the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, along with criticisms that it violates international law and constitutes war crimes. Steve Witkoff, the Trump administration’s Middle East envoy, also sought to quell the backlash on the 20th by stating, "This does not mean we are pursuing an eviction plan."
However, it is expected that the plan to take control of Gaza will not be completely abandoned. President Trump said, "We will see what happens," and added, "The location (of Gaza) is so good that I thought the plan was excellent." He also questioned, "I don’t know why Israel gave up (Gaza). Why did they give it up?"
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