• Trump's proposal to take over Gaza and relocate Palestinians draws widespread condemnation from international leaders and human rights groups.
  • White House officials clarified that the plan involved temporary relocation without US troops or taxpayer funding.
  • UN Secretary-General warns against forced displacement, as France and Egypt label it a violation of international law.

President Donald Trump's administration has found itself backpedaling after his controversial proposal to take over Gaza sparked international outrage and warnings from the United Nations against ethnic cleansing in the Palestinian territory.

During a White House press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump declared that "the US will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it, too.

We'll own it," drawing audible gasps from attendees.

The announcement prompted swift clarifications from administration officials, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio asserting the plan "was not meant as hostile" but rather a "generous move" focused on reconstruction.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later scaled back the proposal's scope, emphasizing that US involvement would not include "boots on the ground" or American taxpayer funding.

The administration characterized the plan as a temporary relocation of Palestinians while Gaza, currently described as a "demolition site," is rebuilt. The proposal faced immediate opposition from multiple fronts.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that forced displacement would amount to ethnic cleansing.

While French President Emmanuel Macron and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi jointly condemned it as a "serious violation of international law." Hamas rejected the proposal as "racist" and "aggressive."

Despite the backlash, Netanyahu praised Trump as Israel's "greatest friend" and called the proposal "the first good idea" he'd heard, though he suggested Palestinians could return after reconstruction.

Meanwhile, Gaza residents like Ahmed Halasa, 41, expressed determination to remain, stating, "They can do whatever they want, but we will remain steadfast in our homeland."

The controversy unfolds against the backdrop of ongoing conflict that has killed at least 47,518 people in Gaza, according to Hamas-run health ministry figures considered reliable by the UN, following Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack that killed 1,210 people in Israel.

Edited By Annette George