WASHINGTON — The White House reaffirmed President Donald Trump’s proposal for the U.S. to control Gaza during a Wednesday press briefing stating that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu knew about the plan before Trump’s announcement.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Palestinians would be removed from Gaza “temporarily so that we can rebuild their home,” a shift from Trump’s comment on Tuesday about looking to “resettle people permanently.”
When asked if Palestinians could remain in Gaza if they wished, Leavitt did not provide a clear answer, instead emphasizing Trump’s dedication to restoring the land that has now faced severe destruction as a result of the Israel-Hamas war.
“The President, again, is committed to rebuilding the region for all people who want to return to it once it is no longer a demolition site,” Leavitt said. “And it’s a place where people can actually live and thrive in harmony.”
Despite continuously stating Trump’s commitment to rebuilding Gaza, Leavitt also said the U.S. would not pay for such a project.
In Tuesday’s joint press conference, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said “it’s worthwhile really pursuing” Trump’s proposition.
When asked in Tuesday’s press conference with the Prime Minister if the U.S. will send troops into Gaza, President Donald Trump said, “if it’s necessary, we’ll do that.”
Declaring Trump the “peace-maker-in-chief,” Leavitt repeatedly stated that the President has not yet committed to putting U.S. “boots on the ground” in Gaza, but the option is not off the table and may be used as leverage for further negotiations.
President Donald J. Trump chooses a reporter to ask a question at joint news conference at the White House with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on February 4, 2025. This is Trump’s first joint news conference with a foreign leader in his second term. (Joshua Sukoff/Medill News Service)
This is not the first time Trump has called on Egypt and Jordan to take in large numbers of Palestinians, but the two Arab nations have consistently rebuffed such suggestions. Jordan’s King Abdullah II immediately rejected Trump’s most recent pitch involving U.S. control of Gaza and Palestinian resettlement in Arab countries.
When asked if Trump is considering granting concessions to Arab nations to further this arrangement Leavitt said, “He expects these nations in the region to step up and to accept Palestinian refugees.” Leavitt cited Trump’s recent foreign negotiations with Mexico, Canada and various Latin American countries as proof that the President can strike deals no other leaders thought possible, adding that Trump will meet with King Abdullah II next week.
“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results,” Leavitt said. “President Trump is an outside-of-the-box thinker and a visionary leader who solves problems that many others, especially in this city, claim are unsolvable.”
