The US president has reversed previous comments about emptying war-torn territory, saying “no one is banishing Palestinians from Gaza.”
Hamas spokesman Haism Qassem welcomed President Donald Trump’s apparent retreat from the permanent displacement of more than two million Palestinians from Gaza.
A statement from Hamas officials came after Trump said Wednesday that he had not “expelled the Palestinians from Gaza.”
“If President Trump’s statement represents a setback from the idea of driving away the people of the Gaza Strip, they are welcome,” Qassem said in the statement.
“We are calling for this position to be strengthened by mandating Israel’s occupation to implement all the terms of the ceasefire agreement,” he added.
Trump sent shockwaves as he proposed to buy the US in Gaza throughout the Middle East and last month, when he proposed to evacuate the Palestinian population of war-torn territory to live in neighboring countries forever.
Trump’s apparent reversal comes after an Arab foreign minister met in Qatar with US Middle Eastern envoy Steve Witkov on Wednesday and discussed reconstruction of Gaza.
Foreign ministers from Qatar, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and the Secretary-General of Palestinian Liberation Agency attended the meeting, according to a statement from the Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“The Arab Foreign Minister discussed the Gaza reconstruction plan approved at the Arab Federation Summit held in Cairo on March 4, 2025,” the ministry said.
“They also agreed to the US envoy to continue consultations and coordination on the plan as a basis for reconstruction efforts in the sector,” he added.
On Saturday, the 57-member Islamic Cooperation Organization (OIC) officially adopted the Gaza plan proposed by the Arab League at an emergency meeting in Saudi Arabia. The Egypt-led initiative emerged as a proposal to rebuild the Gaza Strip under a future administration of Palestinian authorities in response to Trump’s threat of taking over Gaza and emptying the territory of its residents.
Gaza Cerez-Fire Meeting
A new round of speech on the ceasefire in Gaza also began in Qatar on Tuesday, with Witkov sent to Doha for mediation.
“The Arab Minister emphasized the importance of maintaining a ceasefire on Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territory, highlighting the need for a real effort to achieve just and comprehensive peace based on the two states’ solutions, ensuring the implementation of the Palestinian aspirations for freedom and independence.
On Sunday, Hamas leader’s political advisor Taha al-Nono confirmed unprecedented direct consultations with Washington in the Qatar capital, focusing on the release of the US-Israel dual citizens held by armed groups in Gaza.
Al Nono said the meeting between Hamas leaders and US hostage negotiator Adam Berer also discussed how to see how it aimed at ending the war with Gaza through the implementation of a phased ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel.
The direct debate between Borer and Hamas has broken Washington’s decades-old policy over negotiations with groups that the US brands as “terrorist organizations.”
Hamas’ delegation has met Egyptian mediators over the past two days and is ready to negotiate the next phase of a ceasefire with Israel, and Israel sent negotiators to Doha on Monday for a ceasefire meeting.
The 42-day first phase of the Gaza ceasefire contract expired earlier this month without an agreement from Israel aimed at securing a permanent end to the war with Gaza.
Israel subsequently imposed a complete lockdown on Gaza. Gaza is entering its 12th day, preventing the invasion of food, fuel and medicines into its territory, as collective punishment and what is known as Israel’s “weaponization of humanitarian aid.”
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