In a shift from his earlier stance, US President Donald Trump asserted on Wednesday that his proposal regarding Gaza does not involve expelling Palestinians.
Speaking during a meeting with Irish Prime Minister Michael Martin at the Oval Office, Trump interrupted when a reporter asked Martin about the plan to “expel Palestinians out of Gaza.”
“Nobody’s expelling any Palestinians,” Trump responded.
In February, during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the White House, Trump suggested that Gaza’s population of approximately two million people would be “permanently” relocated. When asked if this would be by force, he claimed that Gazans do not want to remain in the war-torn territory.
Trump’s reluctance to clarify whether the relocation would be voluntary had placed him to the right of Netanyahu and his hardline allies, who insist Palestinians would not be forcibly removed but would be supported if they chose to leave.
Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem welcomed what he saw as a retreat by Trump and urged him to distance himself from the “extreme Zionist right.”
While Trump continues to stand by his broader plan, implementation remains limited. Some top advisers have emphasized that the goal is to push US-aligned Arab nations to propose their own post-war management strategies for Gaza.
Last week, Egypt introduced a plan endorsed by the Arab League during a summit in Cairo. The proposal suggests a temporary six-month administration of Gaza by independent Palestinian technocrats before handing control to the Palestinian Authority (PA). It also calls for the deployment of international peacekeeping forces under a UN Security Council resolution. Meanwhile, Egypt and Jordan would train PA security forces to maintain order.
The plan divides Gaza into seven zones, each to be rebuilt sequentially, allowing all Palestinians to remain in the Strip. This contrasts with statements from Trump and US officials, who claim Gaza will not be safe for Palestinians during the expected 10 to 15 years of reconstruction.
Notably, the proposal does not mention Hamas by name, stating instead that armed groups should be addressed through a political process leading to a Palestinian state. The Arab League, however, emphasized that Gaza’s security should remain under “legitimate Palestinian institutions,” implying that non-PA armed groups would not be tolerated.
The lack of explicit mention of Hamas and its disarmament has frustrated the Trump administration, which sees the group’s removal as crucial to Gaza’s reconstruction and long-term stability. While Washington’s Arab allies oppose Hamas, they prefer a gradual approach rather than a public crackdown.
US special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, described the Egyptian plan as a “good faith first step” with “compelling features,” a more welcoming stance than that of the State Department and White House, which called it “inadequate.”
Witkoff met on Wednesday in Doha with foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, and Jordan to discuss the plan. They agreed to continue consultations, according to a joint statement issued after the meeting. Also in attendance was PA President Mahmoud Abbas’s aide, Hussein al-Sheikh, who last met Witkoff in January in Riyadh.
During the Oval Office session, Trump also criticized Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, calling him a “Palestinian” in an apparent insult. Trump, who has previously used such language against Democrats he sees as insufficiently supportive of Israel, added, “He used to be Jewish. He’s not Jewish anymore. He’s a Palestinian.”
Schumer, who has frequently spoken about his Jewish identity, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The remark has since drawn criticism from some liberal Jewish organizations.
