Washington: US President Donald Trump has stated that Palestinians in Gaza will not have the right to return under his proposed plan for US "ownership" of the war-torn territory. His remarks contradict statements from other officials in his administration, who have previously suggested that Trump's proposal only involves the temporary relocation of Gaza's population.  

Trump has been pushing forward with his controversial plan to "take over" Gaza and build "beautiful communities" for its 1.9 million residents. According to his proposal, Gazans will be relocated elsewhere in the region, including to neighbouring countries, in the interim.  

When asked in an interview whether Palestinians would have the right to return, Trump responded: "No, they wouldn’t. Because they're going to have much better housing … I'm talking about building a permanent place for them, because if they have to return now, it will be years before you could ever – it's not habitable. It will be years before it could happen."

Trump first revealed his plan at a recent news briefing alongside Japan's Prime Minister. The proposal has received strong backing from Israel but has been widely rejected by other countries in the region. Both Egypt and Jordan have dismissed the idea, and Cairo has announced plans to convene a Summit of the Arab League following high-level discussions to address what it described as "new and dangerous developments for the Palestinian cause."  

Trump dismisses regional concerns

Despite the strong opposition from regional leaders, Trump remained dismissive of the skepticism surrounding his plan.  

"I think I could make a deal with Jordan, I think I could make a deal with Egypt. You know, we give them billions and billions of dollars a year," he said in the interview.

Trump made these remarks in a pre-recorded interview with Fox News, which is set to air during the Super Bowl championship match of the American Football League. The US President’s interview is part of a long-standing Super Bowl tradition, in which the sitting President addresses key national and international issues.  

A ‘real estate development’ for Gaza

Expanding on his vision for Gaza, Trump described his plan as a real estate opportunity, insisting that the relocation of its residents would ultimately benefit them.  

"We'll build beautiful communities for the 1.9 million people. We'll build beautiful communities, safe communities. (They) could be five, six, could be two. But we'll build safe communities a little bit away from where they are, where all of this danger is. 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," he stated.  

In addition to his Gaza proposal, Trump addressed other major topics during the interview, including his suggestion to annex Canada as the 51st state, which he reiterated he was serious about. He also defended billionaire Elon Musk’s cost-cutting measures at the federal level.  

(Agency inputs)