Israel US government qualifies Trump's plans for Gaza Strip
Following fierce international criticism of US President Donald Trump's plans for the future of the Gaza Strip, the government in Washington is trying to calm the waves. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz and White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt tried to defuse Trump's statements on the resettlement of two million Palestinians and to relativize the possibility of a US military operation.
06.02.2025, 05:47
06.02.2025, 05:48
SDA
The previous day, the US President had announced at a press conference alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the USA would "take over" the Gaza Strip and turn it into an economically prosperous "Middle East Riviera". He repeated his earlier statement that the approximately two million people living there would have to leave the area. Trump wants them to be accommodated in other Arab states in the region in future.
"This was not intended as a hostile move," said Rubio during a visit to Guatemala. On the contrary, he spoke of a "very generous offer" from the president. Rubio explained that the USA was only interested in making the coastal area habitable again. During this time, however, the Palestinians would not be able to live there. Israel's neighbors Egypt and Jordan, among others, reject the resettlement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.
Middle East advisor Witkoff: No US soldiers to Gaza
Trump did not rule out a US military deployment in the Gaza Strip and stated that they would "do what is necessary". During the election campaign, he had repeatedly promised to keep the armed forces out of international conflicts. According to a media report, the US special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, told members of Congress in Washington that Trump did not want to send US soldiers to the Gaza Strip and did not want to provide any funds for reconstruction.
The US President's comments on resettlement from the Gaza Strip had triggered sharp criticism both internationally and in the USA. According to experts, such a step would violate international law. The United Nations warned against "ethnic cleansing".
EU continues to insist on two-state solution
The Palestinians and numerous governments in the Arab world firmly rejected the plans. The European Union also expressed concerns about what Trump's plans could mean for the peace process in the region. "The EU remains firmly committed to a two-state solution, which we believe is the only way to achieve long-term peace for Israelis and Palestinians," said a spokesperson for EU foreign affairs representative Kaja Kallas. "Gaza is an integral part of a future Palestinian state."
Even among Trump's allies in the US, skepticism was voiced. "I thought we voted America First," wrote Republican Senator Rand Paul on the news platform X. "It is not our place to contemplate another occupation that destroys our national budget and spills the blood of our soldiers."
White House: No US taxpayers' money for reconstruction
The White House spokeswoman also tried to play down the consequences of Trump's ambitious proposal. Trump's plan "does not mean that American taxpayers will fund these efforts", Leavitt explained. "It means that Donald Trump - the best dealmaker in the world - will make deals with partners in the region."
US National Security Adviser Waltz suggested in an interview on CBS television that Trump's plan was not set in stone and called on allies in the region to come up with their own plans. "The fact that nobody has a realistic solution and he's putting some very bold, fresh, new ideas on the table, I don't think should be criticized in any way," he said. "It will push the whole region to find its own solutions if it doesn't like Trump's solution."
Netanyahu also met with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth during his visit to Washington. The United States is 100 percent committed to Israel's security, Hegseth said, according to the Pentagon. Netanyahu and the defense secretary agreed that Iran threatens stability in the Middle East and agreed to work together to counter this challenge.
