White House Clarifies If Trump’s Gaza Removal Plan Is ‘Permanent’ Or ‘Temporary’

Reuters reporter Jeff Mason asked White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday if she could clarify whether or not President Donald Trump’s position is to “permanently” or “temporarily” remove the population of Gaza.

“Thanks very much. Two questions. One, the president yesterday used the word permanent for permanently resettle Palestinians. I hear you said temporarily today. Is that a shift or a specific change that you want to highlight? And my second question is, yesterday he spoke about the U.S. owning Gaza. Who owns Gaza now and how would the U.S. acquire ownership?” Mason asked.

“Well, Gaza is currently run by Iranian-backed terrorists in the Middle East, Hamas, who we all agree I think everybody in the region agrees that can no longer stand. Just look at the events of October 7th and the events since,” Leavitt replied, adding:

And 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. And it’s a place where people can actually live and thrive in harmony. As he said last night, his words, not mine.

Mason then pressed for an answer to his first question, “Permanent versus temporarily resettled?”

“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,” Leavitt replied.

Trump shocked world leaders on Tuesday night by repeatedly suggesting the U.S. should “own” Gaza and oversee a rebuilding effort that would turn it into an international “riviera.” Trump has also repeatedly said that the nearly 2 million people living in the Gaza Strip need to leave the territory since becoming president, a position widely rebuffed throughout the Middle East.

Watch the clip above via Fox News.