Trump says no right of return for Palestinians in Gaza

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Palestinians in Gaza would not have a right to return under his plan for U.S. "ownership" of the war-torn territory, contradicting other officials in his administration who have sought to argue Trump was only calling for the temporary relocation of its population. Less than a week after he floated his plan for the U.S. to take control of Gaza and turn it into "the Riviera of the Middle East," Trump, in an interview with FOX News' Bret Baier that was set to air on Monday, said "No, they wouldn't" when asked if Palestinians in Gaza would have a right to return to the territory. It comes as he has ramped up pressure on Arab states, especially U.S. allies Jordan and Egypt, to take in Palestinians from Gaza, who claim the territory as part of a future homeland. "We'll build safe communities, a little bit away from where they are, where all of this danger is," Trump said. "In the meantime, I would own this. Think of it as a real estate development for the future. It would be a beautiful piece of land. No big money spent." Arab nations have sharply criticized the Trump proposal, and Trump's latest words were released a day before he is set to host Jordan's King Abdullah II at the White House on Tuesday. In addition to concerns about jeopardizing the long-held goals of a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, Egypt and Jordan have privately raised security concerns about welcoming large numbers of additional refugees into their countries even temporarily. Trump's comments risked jeopardizing the already tenuous ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza after 15 months of war, with the existing framework for negotiations calling for the massive humanitarian and reconstruction assistance for civilians in Gaza. After Trump's initial comments last week, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt and Secretary of State Marco Rubio respectfully insisted that Trump only wanted Palestinians relocated from Gaza "temporarily" and for an "interim" period to allow for debris removal, the disposal of unexploded ordinance and reconstruction. Trump last week didn't rule out deploying U.S. troops to help secure the territory but at the same time insisted no U.S. funds would go to pay for the reconstruction of Gaza, raising fundamental questions about the nature of his plan. Egypt's Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty's said there is "Arab consensus" on the rejection of the transfer of Palestinians, as Trump continued to press his suggestion of moving Palestinians out of Gaza. Abdelatty stressed on "the importance of finding a political horizon for the Palestinian cause, leading to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, and for the Palestinian people to enjoy the right of self-determination," the Egyptian foreign ministry statement said. A senior Hamas official blasted Trump's latest remarks about the U.S. ownership of Gaza, as "absurd." Izzat al-Rishq, a member of Hamas politico bureau, said these comments "reflect a deep ignorance of Palestine and the region." In comments released by Hamas early Monday, he said Trump's approach toward the Palestinian cause will fail. "Dealing with the Palestinian cause with the mentality of a real estate dealer is a recipe for failure," he said. "Our Palestinian people will thwart all transfer and deportation plans."