Egypt Daily News – U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that “no one is forcing Gaza residents to leave,” in his latest remarks on his previous plan, which aimed to displace nearly two million Palestinians from the devastated enclave to pave the way for reconstruction and the establishment of what he described as the “Riviera of the Middle East.”
During a joint press conference with the Irish Prime Minister, Trump stated, “No one will expel anyone from Gaza,” marking a clear retreat from his earlier proposal, which faced widespread Arab and international rejection while receiving support from Israel.
For his part, Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin, following his meeting with Trump at the White House, stated, “We want the release of detainees and peace in Gaza,” while also calling for the establishment of a lasting ceasefire amid international mediation efforts to advance the second phase of the Gaza agreement talks.
Although U.S. President Donald Trump has backed away in recent weeks from his previous plan regarding Gaza and the displacement of its residents to neighboring countries, it appears that Israel is still pushing to impose it.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a far-right politician, revealed on Sunday before the Knesset that parliamentary lobbying groups have been formed in both Israel and the United States to work toward implementing Trump’s plan—seizing Gaza and deporting its residents—while also carrying out a massive expansion of settlements in the West Bank.
The details of this plan, which remained unclear until yesterday, included, according to Smotrich, “the deportation of 5,000 people daily, seven days a week, for an entire year, or 10,000 people daily for six months.”
With a quick calculation—multiplying 5,000 by 360 days—the total would be 1.8 million Palestinians, approximately two-thirds of Gaza’s population. However, the winds may not blow in Smotrich’s favor, especially since Arab states have rejected this plan ever since Trump announced it more than a month ago.
During the extraordinary Arab League summit held in Cairo last week, an alternative plan was proposed, which involves rebuilding Gaza while keeping its residents in place. Smotrich, for his part, stated that “Trump’s plan could change the entire region.”
Nonetheless, he acknowledged the significant challenges it faces, predicting that its implementation would take a very long time.
