Gaza: The Palestinian group Hamas on Thursday welcomed a statement by US President Donald Trump showing an apparent retreat from his proposed displacement plan of Palestinians from the war-devastated Gaza Strip. On Wednesday, Trump said during a meeting in the White House with Ireland’s Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Micheal Martin that ‘nobody is expelling any Palestinians from Gaza’ in response to a question.
According to Anadolu Agency, Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem expressed approval of Trump’s remarks, stating that if Trump’s statements represent a retreat from the idea of displacing the people of the Gaza Strip, they are welcomed. Qassem called for reinforcing this position by obligating the Israeli occupation to implement all the terms of the Gaza ceasefire agreements.
The Hamas spokesman urged Trump to refrain from aligning with the vision of the extreme Zionist right against Palestinians and their land. Trump’s comments followed statements by Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who announced plans to open a new “Emigration Authority” under the Defense Ministry to manage the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza.
An Arab summit and Organization of Islamic Cooperation meeting in early March approved a comprehensive Arab plan to rebuild Gaza without displacing its Palestinian residents. The plan is expected to take five years to complete, with an estimated cost of around $53 billion. The Arab proposal came after Trump’s plan to “take over” Gaza and resettle Palestinians to turn the territory into a tourist destination, which was rejected by the Arab world and many other nations.
Since October 2023, over 48,500 people have been killed, mostly women and children, in an Israeli onslaught on Gaza. The assault was paused under a ceasefire and prisoner swap deal in January. The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in the enclave.