Egypt appreciates Trump's decision not to displace Gazans
World
"Nobody is expelling any Palestinians from Gaza," Trump said on Wednesday.
DUBAI (Reuters) - Egypt said on Thursday (Mar 13) it appreciated United States President Donald Trump's remarks on not demanding that residents of Gaza leave the enclave, according to a statement from the foreign ministry.
"Nobody is expelling any Palestinians from Gaza," Trump said on Wednesday, in response to a question during a meeting in the White House with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin.
"This position reflects an understanding of the need to prevent further deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the importance of finding fair, sustainable solutions to the Palestinian issue," the Egyptian foreign ministry added.
Trump had proposed a US takeover of Gaza, where Israel's military assault in the last 17 months has killed tens of thousands, after earlier suggesting that Palestinians in the enclave should be permanently displaced.
Palestinian militant group Hamas carried out a cross-border raid into southern Israel on Oct 7, 2023, triggering the devastating war in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas on Wednesday welcomed Trump’s apparent retreat from his proposal for the displacement of Gazans, urging him to refrain from aligning with the vision of the "extreme Zionist right".
Earlier in March, Arab leaders adopted a US$53 billion Egyptian reconstruction plan for Gaza that would avoid displacing Palestinians to counter Trump's vision of a "Middle East Riviera".
During a meeting on Wednesday with Ireland's leader Michel Martin, President Trump made an offhand remark that was quickly picked up in the Middle East as a major change in his stance on the war-torn Gaza Strip and its roughly 2 million Palestinian inhabitants.
"Nobody is expelling any Palestinians," Trump told reporters.
That came after he repeatedly said that under his own proposal to rebuild Gaza, all of its residents would be moved out, while the U.S. moved in to "take over" the coastal territory to turn it into a luxury real estate development. Just a month ago, Trump was clear that, in his mind, not only would Palestinians need to leave Gaza, they would not be permitted to return.
That plan was roundly and clearly rejected by Arab countries, including Egypt and Jordan, which Trump had said would take in the displaced masses.
Egypt, which has led efforts to present an alternative plan for Gaza that does not involve displacing Palestinians, welcomed the change in tone by Trump.
