President Trump said the nearly two million Palestinians that he wants to displace from the Gaza Strip would not be allowed to return to the territory under his hypothetical plan to rebuild it.
In a clip from a Fox News interview scheduled to air on Monday, Mr. Trump elaborated on his recent proposal for an American-led takeover of Gaza. Asked if Palestinians who would be removed from the territory while it is cleared would have the right to eventually return to their homeland, he said: “No, they wouldn’t. Because they’re going to have much better housing — in other words, I’m talking about building a permanent place for them.”
Mr. Trump’s notion that the U.S. take over Gaza and resettle its population has drawn widespread international condemnation, with some critics likening it to ethnic cleansing. The forced deportation or transfer of a civilian population is a violation of international law and a war crime, according to experts.
Mr. Trump has previously suggested that Gaza’s population be relocated to Jordan and Egypt, an idea that both countries swiftly rejected. But in the interview set to air Monday, Mr. Trump said, “I think I could make a deal” with Jordan and Egypt. Fox News said it would show additional footage from the interview tonight at 6 p.m. Eastern.
In separate comments on Sunday, Mr. Trump had reiterated his proposal for the United States to take over Gaza, telling reporters on Air Force One that the strip of land was “a big real…
