Washington attempts to calm international criticism over Trump’s plans for the Gaza Strip. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt sought to downplay Trump’s statements on relocating two million Palestinians and the possibility of a US military intervention.
“Not intended as a hostile step” Rubio said during a visit to Guatemala, instead describing it as a “very generous offer” from the President. He explained that the US aim was to make the coastal area habitable again, but not for the Palestinians to live there in the meantime.
The US President had announced the day before, alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, that the US would “take over” the Gaza Strip and transform it into a “thriving Mediterranean-like” region. He repeated his earlier statement that the approximately two million people living there would have to leave.
Trump did not rule out a US military intervention in the Gaza Strip and stated that the US would “do what is necessary.” In the election campaign, he had repeatedly promised to keep the military out of international conflicts. US Special Envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, told congressional members in Washington, according to a media report, that Trump would not send US soldiers to the Gaza Strip and would not provide funds for its reconstruction. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt explained that the President had made a “historic proposal for the takeover of the Gaza Strip by the United States” but had not yet committed to sending US troops.
The White House Press Secretary also sought to downplay the consequences of Trump’s ambitious plan, stating that it would not mean American taxpayers would fund the efforts. Trump’s Gaza plan has been met with rejection within his own party, as some Republicans believe he is deviating from his “America First” agenda.
“I thought we voted for ‘America First'” said Rand Paul, a Republican Senator from Kentucky. “We have no right to consider another occupation that would destroy our wealth and spill the blood of our soldiers.”
Trump’s statements on relocating people from the Gaza Strip have triggered sharp criticism both internationally and in the US, with experts warning that such a step would violate international law. The United Nations warned of an “ethnic cleansing.