Trump clarifies Gaza takeover remark, says it was a 'recommendation' only

After his earlier call of the Gaza Strip being depopulated and subsequently taken over by Israel drew a lot of flak globally, especially from the Arab nations, US President Donald Trump asserted that his plan was only a 'recommendation' and not an 'enforcement', The Jerusalem Post reported.

Speaking to Fox News, Trump reiterated his belief that his plan was the "best approach" to resolve the situation in the West Asia. "I'll tell you the way to do it is my plan. I think that's the plan that really works," Trump said. 

The US President added, "But I'm not forcing it. I'm just going to sit back and recommend it. And then the US would own the site, there'd be no Hamas. And they'd be developed and you'd start all over again with a clean slate."

Trump has previously urged neighbouring Jordan and Egypt -- both of which have peace agreements with Israel -- to accept Palestinian refugees from Gaza, the Jerusalem Post report stated.

Furthermore, the report mentioned that Trump has justified his position by pointing to the significant aid the United States provides to these countries. However, Arab states have largely rejected the proposal, with the exception of Jordan, which agreed to take in 2,000 sick children.

On Friday, a group of Arab nations met to discuss an alternative plan that would allow Gaza's population of around two million to remain in place, the Jerusalem Post report added.

Despite signalling that he would not push his plan, Trump continued to promote it. "It's really essentially levelled now, you don't have too much to do other than remove debris," Trump said in his interview about Gaza.

"That place is not livable. And if you gave people the choice between that and living in a nice community, I think I know where they'd go. But we'll see what happens," the report quoted Trump as saying.

Trump also reflected on Israel's 2005 decision to unilaterally withdraw from Gaza, removing settlements and military presence while transferring control to the Palestinian Authority, Jerusalem Post reported.

The US President then questioned why Israel made the decision in the first place. "It's a great location. I don't know why Israel ever gave that up. Why'd they give it up?" Trump said in his interview.

While Kilmeade referenced former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Trump did not mention him directly but commented, "Somebody from Israel, I can't tell you who, but was well known, decided to give it up. It's one of the bad real estate deals."

Trump also reacted to the recent return of the bodies of Ariel and Kfir Bibas, whose coffins were displayed by Hamas in what he described as a gruesome ceremony. "Barbaric," Trump said, adding that he understood why Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would be "angry."

When asked whether Netanyahu should prioritise rescuing the remaining hostages or eliminating Hamas, Trump responded that he would accept either decision, the Jerusalem Post report said.