Trump says Gaza will be given to US by Israel

President Trump on Friday asserted that Gaza will be given to the U.S. by Israel, expanding on his plan for an American takeover of the war-torn region that he suggests involves the permanent relocation of Palestinians.

The controversial proposal stands to upend decades of U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East.

When asked of the proposal on Friday, the president told reporters that Gaza “will be given to us by Israel” and said that his proposal to take responsibility for the Gaza Strip, currently under Hamas control, has “been very well received.”

“We don't want to see everybody move out and then move back in 10 years,” Trump added.

But leads of regional Arab nations and even some of Trump's Republican allies appeared lukewarm to the proposal. Trump has suggested Gaza be "cleaned out" but has offered no details on how such a takeover would be logistically implemented.

He doubled down on his push for Palestinians to leave Gaza after he rocked U.S.-Middle East policy Tuesday by announcing during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he would back the resettlement of Palestinians into Egypt and Jordan, despite those countries immediately rejecting such a deal.

Trump also said Friday his plan “would lead to great stability in the area” for “very little money” without, again, providing any details on how.

The president, a day earlier, claimed Israel would turn over Gaza to the U.S. “at the conclusion of fighting” after about 16 months of a war against Hamas and a recently made fragile ceasefire agreement.

His idea about controlling Gaza has also fostered questions over whether a takeover of the region would require American military boots on the ground and violations of international law in resettling an entire population.

Some of Trump's administration officials have tried to soften the president's Tuesday remarks.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday insisted Trump has not committed to sending the U.S. military into Gaza, despite the president suggesting the night before that “we will do what is necessary."

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that the U.S. government is "a very long way" from intervening in the Strip.

Updated 2:09 p.m.