Trump Administration Walks Back Gaza Takeover Plans After Backlash: ‘Not Committed to Boots on the Ground’

The Trump administration is walking back the President’s proposed intention to remove Palestinians and “take over the Gaza Strip” during a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying there is no commitment to putting boots on the ground but reiterating the need to evacuate the “demolition site.”

Trump’s proposal has brought about widespread backlash from enemies, allies and Palestinians, calling it a violation of international law. On Wednesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt tried to clear the air, saying no hard commitments on the use of the U.S. military to seize the Gaza Strip have been made.

“The president has not committed to putting boots on the ground in Gaza,” Leavitt said, adding that the president will be discussing next steps for Gaza in an upcoming meeting. “The president has made it clear that they need to be temporarily relocated out of Gaza for the rebuilding of this effort. Again, it’s a demolition site right now. It’s not a livable place for any human being. And I think it’s actually quite evil to suggest that people should live in such dire conditions.”

The New York Times reports that the Trump administration says as of Wednesday that U.S. troops would not be used to clear the Gaza Strip of Palestinians and that the displacement of nearly 2 million people would not be permanent.

U.N. representative Riyad Mansour said the Palestinian people won’t be going anywhere.

“We are not going to leave Gaza,” Mansour said to a U.N. committee that manages the rights of Palestinians, the New York Times reported. “There is no power on earth that can remove the Palestinian people from our ancestral homeland, including Gaza.”

U.N. spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said Trump’s suggestion to forcibly displace Palestinians is “tantamount to ethnic cleansing,” while U.N. Secretary General António Guterres urged the need to not worsen tensions in the Middle East.

“In the search for solutions, we must not make the problem worse,” Guterres said. “It is vital to stay true to the bedrock of international law. It is essential to avoid any form of ethnic cleansing.”

From the U.S. end, House Speaker Mike Johnson applauded Trump’s “bold, decisive action,” despite criticisms.

The uproar comes after Trump shared that he’d ideally like to make take over the Gaza Strip and make it the “Riviera of the Middle East,” mentioning that he send U.S. troops to the area “if it’s necessary” and the U.S. is going to “take over that piece” for development.

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