Live blog: Gaza is 'integral part' of future Palestinian state — EU

1858 GMT — The European Union said that it "took note" of US President Donald Trump's comments on wanting to take control of Palestine's Gaza, but insisted that a two-state solution was the "only path" to peace between Israel and Palestinians.

"Gaza is an integral part of a future Palestinian state," a spokesperson for the European Union said.

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1855 GMT — Trump meant only temporary Gaza move for rebuilding: Rubio

US President Donald Trump only wants Palestinians to leave Gaza temporarily while the territory is reconstructed, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.

Trump's idea "was not meant as hostile. It was meant as, I think, a very generous move -- the offer to rebuild and to be in charge of the rebuilding," Rubio told reporters on a visit to Guatemala.

Trump offered the US "willingness to step in, clear the debris, clean the place up from all the destruction that's on the ground, clean it up of all these unexploded munitions," Rubio said.

1820 GMT — Trump's Gaza plan shameful and unlawful: Amnesty

Rights advocacy group Amnesty International said US President Donald Trump's proposal to move Palestinians from Gaza was "inflammatory, outrageous and shameful" and amounted to a "flagrant violation of international law".

"Any plan to forcibly deport Palestinians outside the occupied territory against their will is a war crime", Amnesty International’s Secretary General Agnes Callamard told Reuters.

1819 GMT — White House: Trump has not committed to putting US troops in Gaza

President Donald Trump has not committed to putting US troops on the ground in Gaza as part of his proposal for a US takeover of the Palestinian enclave, the White House said.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that the president believes the United States needs to be involved in the rebuilding of Gaza "to ensure stability in the region."

"That does not mean boots on the ground in Gaza," she said.

1807 GMT — Maintaining ceasefire in Gaza requires collective responsibility: Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has stated that maintaining a ceasefire in Gaza requires collective responsibility, and the international community must persist in efforts toward a two-state solution.

1801 GMT — Houthis condemn Trump's proposal

Yemeni Houthis condemned US President Donald Trump's comments on Gaza, saying that Yemen "stands beside Palestine in confronting all forms of aggression against the Palestinian cause".

The group, which controls most of western Yemen including the capital Sanaa, issued the comment, attributed to its political bureau, in a statement reported by the Houthi-affiliated al-Masirah TV.

1754 GMT — Republican senator slams Trump's Gaza ‘take over’ proposal

A Republican senator criticised US President Donald Trump's proposal to "take over the Gaza Strip."

"The pursuit for peace should be that of the Israelis and the Palestinians.

"I thought we voted for America First. We have no business contemplating yet another occupation to doom our treasure and spill our soldiers blood," Rand Paul wrote on X.

1747 GMT — UN chief warns against 'ethnic cleansing' in Gaza

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will warn against "ethnic cleansing" in Gaza, his spokesman said, after US President Donald Trump suggested Palestinians could be removed from the coastal territory.

"The secretary-general will say that in the search for solutions, we must not make the problem worse. It is vital that we stay true to the bedrock of international law. It is essential to avoid any form of ethnic cleansing. And, of course, he will reaffirm the two-state solution," Guterres's spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters.

1747 GMT — European countries reject Trump's proposal of relocating Palestinians from Gaza

Several European leaders rejected US President Donald Trump's controversial plan to "take over" Gaza and forcibly resettle its Palestinian population in other countries.

Dismissing the proposal, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said that the only way forward for peace is a negotiated two-state solution.

"It is clear that Gaza—like the West Bank and East Jerusalem—belongs to the Palestinians," Baerbock said, warning that forcibly expelling the civilian population would violate international law and fuel further hatred.

She stressed that the UN, EU, and G7 have consistently opposed Israeli settlements on Palestinian territories.

1643 GMT — Trump claims 'everybody loves' his Gaza plan, despite backlash

US President Donald Trump insisted that "everybody loves" his shock proposal for the United States to take over Gaza, despite a resounding rejection by Palestinians, Middle East leaders and governments around the world.

"Everybody loves it," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked about the reaction to his plan. He then said it was "not the right time" for further questions as he was overseeing the swearing-in of new US Attorney General Pam Bondi.

1632 GMT — UAE rejects any attempt to displace Palestinians

The United Arab Emirates categorically rejects any attempt to displace the Palestinians and deny them "inalienable rights", the UAE Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

1617 GMT — Muslim advocacy group demands Canada 'stand against Donald Trump's repressive regime'

The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) denounced US President Donald Trump's "shameful" proposal to take over the Gaza and resettle Palestinians elsewhere.

"Canada must stand against Donald Trump's repressive regime and his plan for ethnic cleansing just as France, Germany, and other nations have," it said in a social media post, demanding the country not be "intimidated by this bully."

Urging all Canadians to firmly oppose him, the Muslim advocacy group said: "To endorse a plan of ethnic cleansing in any way shape or form, as Donald Trump has suggested with the displacement of Gaza not only violates international law, further destabilizes the region, but it would be a complete betrayal to who we are as a nation."

"Gaza belongs to the Gazans, Gaza belongs to the Palestinians. Canada must stand for what it claims to believe - that one day, Palestinians will have the chance to live in Palestine in peace," it said.

1540 GMT — Human Rights Watch: displacing Palestinians would be moral abomination

Displacing Palestinians would be a moral abomination, Human Rights Watch Israel and Palestine director said in response to a proposal from President Donald Trump for the United States to take over Gaza.

"It would be a moral abomination," Omar Shakir, from the international non-government organisation, told Reuters.

"International humanitarian law forbids the forced displacement of the population of an occupied territory. When such forced displacement is widespread, it can amount to a war crime or a crime against humanity", added Shakir.

1530 GMT — Trump's Gaza proposal a 'recipe for instability' — Arab League

The Arab League has said that a shock suggestion by United States President Donald Trump to take over Gaza and displace Palestinians would violate international law and cause further instability.

While "confident in the United States and its president's desire to achieve a just peace in the region", the Arab League's secretariat said Trump's proposal promotes "the displacement of Palestinians, which is rejected on the Arab and international levels".

The 22-member regional bloc said that such a move, after more than 15 months of a devastating war between Israel and the Palestinian resistance group Hamas, was "a recipe for instability" and would be in "violation of international law".

1516 GMT — It is too early to talk about Palestinian displacement: Qatar

Qatar, a mediator in Gaza ceasefire talks, said it was too early to talk about the resettlement of Palestinians from the enclave and Doha was busy trying to bring about the second phase of a deal to halt the war between Israel and Hamas.

1411 GMT — Jordan rejects any displacement of Palestinians

Jordan's King Abdullah said he rejected any attempts to annex land and displace Palestinians.

He spoke after US President Trump said on Tuesday the United States would take over Gaza after Palestinians are resettled elsewhere and develop it economically, an idea that elicited widespread international condemnation.

While receiving Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, King Abdullah affirmed full Jordanian support for the Palestinians.

1400 GMT — Trump's Gaza plan is 'unlawful and irresponsible' — UN

United States President Donald Trump’s proposal to relocate Palestinians from Gaza to other countries and to place the Palestinian enclave under US control is "unlawful, immoral, and completely irresponsible," said the UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territory.

Speaking at a news conference in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, Francesca Albanese condemned the proposal and warned that it would worsen the regional crisis.

"It's unlawful, immoral and completely irresponsible … what he proposes is nonsense," Albanese said. "It's incitement to commit forced displacement, which is an international crime," she added.

Albanese urged the international community to take a stronger stance, saying: "The international community consists of 193 states, and this is the time to give the US what it has been looking for – isolation," she said.

1341 GMT — UN rights chief slams Trump’s plan to 'take over' Gaza

The UN human rights chief rebuked US President Donald Trump’s plan to "take over" Gaza and forcibly resettle its Palestinian population in other countries, stressing that any forcible transfer or deportation of Palestinians from occupied territory would violate international law.

"It is crucial that we move towards the next phase of the ceasefire, to release all hostages and arbitrarily detained prisoners, end the war and reconstruct Gaza, with full respect for international humanitarian law and international human rights law," Volker Turk said in a statement.

Turk underscored that "international law is very clear" and reaffirmed the right to self-determination as a fundamental principle that must be upheld by all states.

1332 GMT — Trump's Gaza displacement plan 'unacceptable': Turkish FM

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan rejected US President Donald Trump's plan to displace Palestinians from Gaza, calling it "unacceptable,” adding that even considering it is wrong.

Speaking at Anadolu's Editors' Desk in the capital Ankara, Fidan said Türkiye opposes all initiatives that seek to exclude the people of Gaza from the equation in the region, reaffirming its commitment to Palestinian rights.

Fidan said the ceasefire in Gaza appeared to be holding for now but warned of obstacles to humanitarian aid delivery. "There are issues with the transfer of essential supplies such as shelters, heavy machinery, and qualified humanitarian aid necessary to rebuild lives in Gaza," he noted.

1248 GMT — More bodies found under rubble in Gaza as death toll tops 47,550

Palestinian medics and rescue teams recovered eight more bodies from the rubble in Gaza, pushing the overall death toll from Israel’s genocidal war since October 2023 to 47,552, the Health Ministry said.

A ministry statement said the toll included four people who succumbed to their injuries in hospitals.

According to the ministry, 11 wounded people were also admitted to hospitals in the last 24 hours, taking the number of the wounded to 111,629 in the Israeli onslaught.

"Many victims are still trapped under the rubble and on the roads as rescuers are unable to reach them," the ministry said.

1244 GMT — Israeli source says Trump came up with 'ingenious solutions' to long-standing problems for Israel

An Israeli political source told Reuters that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to the White House was "very successful and surpassed all our expectations and dreams."

The relationship between Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump has never been better and closer, the source said, adding that Trump came up with "ingenious solutions" to problems that have dogged the state of Israel since its inception.

1232 GMT — UK PM says Palestinians 'must be allowed home' in Gaza

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that Palestinians "must be allowed home" in Gaza after President Donald Trump suggested the United States should take over the war-ravaged territory.

"They must be allowed home. They must be allowed to rebuild, and we should be with them in that rebuild on the way to a two-state solution," Starmer told the UK parliament during his weekly questions session.

1158 GMT — Gaza belongs to Palestinians: Germany

Germany firmly rejected US President Donald Trump’s plan to "take over" Gaza and permanently resettle its Palestinian population in other countries.

Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said in a statement that a negotiated two-state solution remains the only path forward that would ensure Palestinians and Israelis can live in peace, security, and dignity.

"It is clear that Gaza—like the West Bank and East Jerusalem—belongs to the Palestinians. They form the starting point for a future state of Palestine," Baerbock said.

"The expulsion of the Palestinian civilian population from Gaza would not only be unacceptable and contrary to international law. It would also lead to new suffering and new hatred," she warned.

1148 GMT — Future of Gaza depends on 'future Palestinian State': France

France stated its stance on Gaza’s future, stressing that the enclave should be part of a future Palestinian state rather than being placed under the control of a third country, rejecting a controversial US plan.

"The future of Gaza must be inscribed not in the perspective of control by a third State but in the framework of a future Palestinian State, under the aegis of the Palestinian Authority," the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement, implicitly rebuffing US President Donald Trump’s stated plans for the US to "take over" Gaza, forcibly sending its Palestinian residents to other countries.

"France reiterates its opposition to any forced displacement of the Palestinian population of Gaza, which would constitute a serious violation of international law, an attack on the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinians, but also a major obstacle to the two-state solution," the ministry added.

1125 GMT — Egypt, Palestine discuss Gaza rebuilding without displacement

Egypt and Palestine held talks to discuss recovery plans for the war-torn Gaza without displacing Palestinians from the territory.

This came during a meeting held in Cairo between Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and Palestinian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohamed Mustafa.

A statement released after the meeting reiterated Egypt’s support for the Palestinian government and its reform plans.

The statement underlined the importance of "empowering the Palestinian Authority politically and economically to assume its duties in Gaza as part of the occupied Palestinian territories."

1110 GMT — Two-state solution 'only' way to achieve 'long-lasting' peace: UK

The British government reiterated that a lasting end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can "only" come through a two-state solution.

In the government's view, the Palestinian civilians have been through a "living nightmare for the last 14 months," Environment Secretary Steve Reed told Sky News.

Asked about US President Donald Trump's plans to "take over" Gaza, Reed underlined that Palestinians need to be able to return to their homes and then rebuild their lives.

"They will need an awful lot of support from the international community to do that," he said.

1047 GMT — Trump's resettlement plan amounts to 'ethnic cleansing': Palestinian politician

A Palestinian politician called US President Donald Trump's plan for resettling Palestinians from Gaza “ethnic cleansing.”

Trump said during a news conference in Washington with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu late Tuesday that the US “will take over” Gaza after relocating Palestinians elsewhere under an extraordinary redevelopment plan that he claimed could turn the enclave into “the Riviera of the Middle East.”

"Trump's call represents a call for ethnic cleansing, which is considered a war crime under international law, and a new catastrophe for the Palestinian people," Mustafa Barghouti, head of the Palestinian National Initiative, said in a statement.

He said the US administration “will not succeed with political pressure in what Netanyahu failed with war.”

1021 GMT — Far-right Israel minister vows to 'bury' idea of Palestinian state

Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich vowed to "definitively bury" the idea of a Palestinian state after US President Donald Trump announced proposals to "take over" and "own" Gaza.

"The plan presented yesterday (Tuesday) by President Trump is the real answer to October 7," Smotrich said, referring to the 2023 attack on Israel that triggered the Gaza war. "We will now work to definitively bury... the dangerous idea of a Palestinian state," he added on his Telegram account.

0749 GMT — Hamas says 'racist' Trump Gaza plan aims to 'eliminate Palestinian cause'

Palestinian resistance group Hamas has rejected US President Donald Trump's surprise plan to "take control" of Gaza, calling it "racist" and aimed at eliminating the Palestinian cause.

"The American racist stance aligns with the Israeli extreme right's position in displacing our people and eliminating our cause," Hamas spokesman Abdel Latif al-Qanou said in a statement.

0729 GMT — 'Palestinians aren't going anywhere' says US lawmaker, rejecting Trump's relocation proposal

US Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib has denounced President Donald Trump’s recent controversial proposal for Palestinians to leave Gaza, saying: "Palestinians aren't going anywhere."

"Because of bipartisan support in Congress for funding genocide and ethnic cleansing. It's time for my two-state solution colleagues to speak up," Tlaib, the first Palestinian American woman to serve in Congress, wrote on X.

0530 GMT –– Hamas says Trump's Gaza takeover plan 'ridiculous and absurd'

Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said US President Donald Trump's remarks about taking over Gaza are 'ridiculous' and 'absurd'.

"Trump's remarks about his desire to control Gaza are ridiculous and absurd, and any ideas of this kind are capable of igniting the region," Abu Zuhri told Reuters.

0240 GMT — Australia backs two-state solution

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said the government supported a two-state solution in the Middle East, following Trump's shock announcement of plans to occupy Gaza.

"Australia's position is the same as it was this morning, as it was last year," Albanese told a news conference.

"The Australian government supports on a bipartisan basis, a two-state solution."

0219 GMT — Saudi Arabia stands firm on Palestine, rejects Trump's claim

Saudi Arabia has reaffirmed its stance that it will not normalise relations with Israel without the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, rejecting a claim by US President Donald Trump that Riyadh had dropped the demand.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry issued a statement emphasising that the kingdom's position remains "firm and unwavering" following Trump's remarks during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House.

Asked if the Saudis demand the establishment of a Palestinian state, Trump, sitting alongside Netanyahu in the Oval Office, replied: "No, they’re not."

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirms that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s position on the establishment of a Palestinian state is firm and unwavering," the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, clearly and unequivocally reaffirmed this stance during his speech at the opening of the first session of the ninth term of the Shura Council on September 18, 2024."

The statement recalled that the crown prince reiterated the kingdom’s commitment during the Arab-Islamic Summit held in Riyadh on November 11, 2024, stressing the need for a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders and an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.

"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia emphasises that this unwavering position is non-negotiable and not subject to compromises.

0126 GMT — Flanked by Netanyahu, Trump says US will take over Gaza

President Donald Trump has made an extraordinary proposal for the United States to "take over" Gaza, as he hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for crucial talks on the truce with Hamas.

Trump also doubled down on his call for Palestinians to move out of the war-battered territory to Middle Eastern countries like Egypt and Jordan, despite Palestine and both nations flatly rejecting his suggestion.

"The US will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it, too. We'll own it," Trump told a joint press conference with Netanyahu.

Trump said the United States would get rid of unexploded bombs, "level the site" and remove destroyed buildings, and "create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area."

But Trump appeared to suggest that it was not Palestinians who would return there.

"It should not go through a process of rebuilding and occupation by the same people that have really stood there and fought for it and lived there and died there and lived a miserable existence there," he said.

He said Gaza's two million inhabitants should instead "go to other countries of interest with humanitarian hearts."

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0048 GMT — Protests over Trump's plan on Gaza

Pro-Palestinian groups gathered outside the White House in Washington, DC to protest Israel’s war crimes in Gaza and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting with US President Donald Trump.

The demonstration came as Trump hosted Netanyahu in the Oval Office for talks.

Waving Palestinian flags, the protestors chanted “Free, free Palestine” and “Stop hosting a war criminal."

They also held signs saying “Prime Minister of Genocide," “Netanyahu is a War Criminal" and "Israel Kills."

2140 GMT — Trump suggests 'permanently' resettling Palestinians from Gaza

US President Donald Trump has again suggested that displaced Palestinians in Gaza be "permanently" resettled outside the war-torn territory.

Trump made the comments at the start of his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, where the two leaders are expected to discuss the fragile ceasefire and prisoner swap deal in Israel's genocidal war on Gaza.

"I don’t think people should be going back," Trump said. "You can't live in Gaza right now. I think we need another location. I think it should be a location that’s going to make people happy."

2000 GMT — Trump claims Riyadh not seeking independent Palestine

Trump has said that Saudi Arabia isn't demanding a Palestinian state as a precondition for normalisation with Israel.

Asked if the Saudis are demanding a Palestinian state, Trump says, "No, they’re not."

Sitting along Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval office, and responding to a question whether Riyadh is asking for at least a path toward a Palestinian state, Trump says that "everyone is asking for one thing — peace."

"We have the right leader of Israel" to go forward on a normalisation deal with Saudi Arabia, Trump said.

2120 GMT — Trump's Gaza remarks 'recipe for creating chaos': Hamas

A senior Hamas official has slammed Trump's remarks on Tuesday as a "recipe for creating chaos" in the Middle East after the US president claimed that Palestinians were not leaving Gaza because "they have no alternative".

"We consider it a recipe for creating chaos and tension in the region. Our people in the Gaza Strip will not allow these plans to pass. What is required is an end to the occupation and aggression against our people, not their expulsion from their land," said Sami Abu Zuhri in a statement.

2100 GMT — Netanyahu arrives at White House for Gaza talks with Trump

Netanyahu has become the first foreign leader to meet with President Trump since he was sworn in last month. Netanyahu has arrived at the White House and is set to hold a press conference with Trump.

His visit comes as negotiations continue over Phase 2 of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. Phase 1 of the deal has focused on the release of Palestinians illegally held by Israel and Israeli captives in Gaza.

2030 GMT — Amnesty slams US for hosting Netanyahu

Amnesty International has criticised the US for hosting Israel's Netanyahu, who faces an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in connection with his army's genocidal war in Gaza.

"The Biden administration flouted any efforts at international justice for Palestine. Now, by not arresting Netanyahu or subjecting him to US investigations, President Trump is doubling down, welcoming him as the first foreign leader to visit the White House since the inauguration,” said the UK-based organization in a statement on X.

For our live updates from Tuesday, February 4, 2025, click here.