US President Donald Trump said Palestinians would have no right of return to Gaza under his US takeover plan, describing his proposal in excerpts of an interview as a "real estate development for the future."
Trump told Fox News that "I would own it" and that there could be as many as six different sites for Palestinians to live outside Gaza, which the Arab world and others have rejected.
Trump added: "No, they wouldn't, because they're going to have much better housing,"
"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."
Trump first revealed the shock plan during a joint news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu drawing outrage from Palestinians and disdain elsewhere.
In the Fox interview, Trump said he would build "beautiful communities" for the more than two million Palestinians who live in Gaza.
"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," added Trump.
"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. No big money spent."
Trump stunned the world when he announced out of the blue last week that the US would "take over the Gaza Strip," and turn it into the "Riviera of the Middle East."
Netanyahu on Sunday praised Trump's proposal as "revolutionary", striking a triumphant tone in a statement to his cabinet following his return from Washington.
The reaction from much of the rest of the world has been one of outrage, with Egypt, Jordan, other Arab nations and the Palestinians all rejecting it out of hand.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said the plan is "a scandal," adding that the forced relocation of Palestinians would be "unacceptable and against international law."
Trump's plan has also disrupted the fragile six-week ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza with Hamas delaying the release of Israeli hostages.
