Egypt said 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.
“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.
Hamas also 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”.
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 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.
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.
