During a meeting with Irish Prime Minister Michael Martin on Thursday, President Donald Trump clarified his stance on the Gaza crisis, stating, “Nobody’s expelling any Palestinians.” His remarks reportedly pleased Egyptian officials, who have been spearheading an Arab-led initiative to rebuild Gaza—an alternative to Trump’s previously proposed vision of transforming the war-torn region into the “Riviera of the Middle East.”
Egypt’s Foreign Ministry responded favorably, telling Fox News that Trump’s 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.”
Trump had previously announced in February that the U.S. would “take over the Gaza Strip” and oversee the removal of unexploded bombs and weapons. His remarks were widely interpreted as an ambitious, Solomon-esque approach to dividing responsibility over the region.
However, in March, Arab leaders backed a $53 million reconstruction plan led by Egypt, which was met with resistance from the Biden administration. White House National Security Spokesman Brian Hughes dismissed the proposal, stating that it “does not address the reality that Gaza is currently uninhabitable and residents cannot humanely live in a territory covered in debris and unexploded ordnance.”
Gaza has long been a flashpoint in Middle Eastern geopolitics, with tensions reaching a breaking point after Hamas launched a brutal attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. The terrorist organization massacred 1,200 people, including civilians, and took more than 200 hostages. Israel responded with a full-scale military campaign to eliminate Hamas and its infrastructure. As a result, large swaths of Gaza have been reduced to rubble, and its population has been displaced.
Despite the humanitarian crisis, neighboring Jordan and Egypt have refused to accept Palestinian refugees, citing security concerns and the risk of importing terrorism. However, in a show of diplomatic alignment with Trump, Jordan has agreed to take in 2,000 critically ill Palestinian children for medical treatment.
In February, Trump had proposed relocating nearly 2 million Gazans permanently to a new location where they would be provided housing, medical care, and security. At the time, he told Fox News:
“We’re moving them to a beautiful location where they have new homes, where they can live safely, where they’ll have doctors and medical care, and I think it’s going to be great.”
Thursday’s statement, however, suggests a shift in Trump’s stance. While he had initially advocated for a permanent resettlement plan, his latest remarks indicate a more cautious approach to the issue.
As the crisis continues to unfold, Trump’s evolving position signals an effort to balance humanitarian concerns with diplomatic and security realities in the region.