White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, addressing reporters at the daily briefing on Wednesday.
Washington: The White House on Wednesday clarified that former President Donald Trump had not committed any funds or military resources for his proposal to take over Gaza, tempering speculation about US involvement in the region’s reconstruction.
Senior officials from the Trump administration sought to clarify that the former President was not suggesting an indefinite US occupation of Gaza, despite remarks he made during a press conference alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, addressing reporters at the daily briefing, stated, "The President has not committed to putting boots on the ground in Gaza. He has also said that the United States will not pay for the rebuilding of Gaza. His administration is going to work with our partners in the region to reconstruct this region."
She described Trump’s proposal as an "out-of-the-box idea," in line with his unconventional approach to policy, emphasizing that his goal was to bring "lasting peace" to West Asia. When pressed on whether her statement contradicted Trump’s apparent willingness to send US troops to Gaza, she responded, "I am saying that the President has not committed to that just yet. He has not made that commitment."
Trump, during his joint press conference with Netanyahu, had outlined a bold plan, stating, "The US will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it too. We'll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site. Level the site and get rid of the destroyed buildings, level it out, create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area."
He argued that Gaza, devastated by Israeli military action since the October 7 Hamas attacks, was currently "unlivable" and resembled a "demolition site." Trump suggested temporarily relocating Gaza’s population to neighboring Egypt and Jordan while the region was rebuilt into what he described as "the riviera of the Middle East."
According to US media reports, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking in Guatemala, clarified that Trump was only proposing to clear and rebuild Gaza, not to claim indefinite control over it. Additionally, US Special Envoy to West Asia Steve Witkoff assured Republican senators in a closed-door meeting that Trump had no intention of deploying US troops or committing American funds to Gaza. Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri told The New York Times that Trump "doesn't want to put any US troops on the ground, and he doesn't want to spend any US dollars at all" on Gaza.
The White House’s clarification reflects efforts to temper Trump’s remarks, which have raised questions about US involvement in post-war Gaza and its broader policy toward the region.
With IANS inputs