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. (AP Video / Feb. 10, 2025)

President Donald Trump said Palestinians won’t have the right to return to the Gaza Strip under his plan to take control and rebuild the territory, according to interview excerpts released Monday.

“No, they wouldn’t, because they’re going to have much better housing,” Trump said in an interview with Fox News Channel’s Bret Baier, when asked if Palestinians would have the right to return. “In other words, I’m talking about building a permanent place for them because if they have to return now, it’ll be years before you could ever – it’s not habitable.”

The comments are all but certain to set off a fresh wave of anger from Palestinians, Arab leaders and others globally. Trump originally floated the idea of taking over the Gaza Strip in a news conference after a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week.

Aides sought to downplay his plan, insisting Trump wasn’t committing US troops to the region or promising American money for Gaza’s reconstruction. Others have described it as a way of pressuring countries in the region, including Jordan and Egypt, to take in Palestinians. But Trump has reiterated his plan several times since then.

“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.” He didn’t clarify whether he meant he would own Gaza in his role as US president or as a real estate developer.

Trump’s Gaza plans are expected to be among the topics when Jordan’s King Abdullah II holds a scheduled meeting with him in Washington on Tuesday.

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