US President Donald Trump has said that he wants “the people of Gaza to be safe”, amid continued Israeli attacks on the besieged Palestinian territory.
"I want the people of Gaza to be safe, more importantly," Trump told reporters, when asked if he still supports a proposal for the United States to "take over" Gaza.
"I want to see safety for the people of Gaza. They've gone through hell," he said.
Trump first raised the idea of US control over Gaza in February — a proposal widely rejected by countries across the globe — but he has continued to reference it in recent months.
Earlier this week, he said he hopes a ceasefire can be reached in Gaza "sometime next week" and confirmed plans to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington to discuss both Gaza and Iran.
On Thursday, Israel continued its relentless bombardment of the blockaded enclave, killing over 100 Palestinians, including aid seekers.
Israel’s genocide in Gaza
Israel has been carrying out a genocide in Gaza since October 2023.
Palestinians have recorded killings of more than 57,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children.
Some 11,000 Palestinians are feared buried under rubble of annihilated homes, according to Palestine's official WAFA news agency.
Experts, however, contend that the actual death toll significantly exceeds what the Gaza authorities have reported, estimating it could be around 200,000.
Washington allocates $3.8 billion in annual military funding to its long-standing ally Israel.
Since October 2023, the US has spent more than $22 billion supporting Israel's genocide in Gaza and wars in neighbouring countries.
Despite senior US officials criticising Israel regarding the high civilian death toll in Gaza, Washington has, thus far, resisted calls to place conditions on any arms transfers.
