US Secretary of State Marco Rubio appeared to back President Donald Trump's plan for US control of Gaza, saying the Palestinian enclave must be liberated from the Islamist group "Hamas", Reuters reported.
Yesterday, Trump suggested that the US take over Gaza, where Israel's military action over the past 16 months has killed tens of thousands, after earlier suggesting that Palestinians in the enclave be permanently displaced. The idea has been condemned by experts and human rights advocates.
Trump's earlier comments that Palestinians should move to Egypt and Jordan have already been publicly rejected by Palestinian and Arab leaders, while human rights advocates have condemned them as tantamount to a proposal for ethnic cleansing.
“Gaza MUST BE LIBERATED from "Hamas". As the president said today, the United States is ready to lead and make Gaza beautiful again,“ Rubio said on "Ex" last night. "Our aspiration is for lasting peace in the region for all people."
While Trump had made proposals for Palestinian displacement since Jan. 25, statements made since then by Rubio's State Department on its websites did not explicitly mention Trump's proposal.
Trump did not offer many details about his proposal on Tuesday.
Rubio's message also did not provide further details.
U.S. ally Israel's military operation in Gaza has killed more than 47,000 Palestinians in the past 16 months, according to Gaza's health ministry, and has led to accusations of genocide and war crimes, which Israel denies.