The Times of Israel is liveblogging Thursday’s events as they happen.
‘The first good idea I’ve heard’: Netanyahu endorses scaled-backed version of Trump’s Gaza plan
A day after President Donald Trump called to “permanently” relocate all Palestinians outside of the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu endorses a scaled-back version of the proposal, calling it “remarkable.”
“This is the first good idea that I’ve heard,” Netanyahu says in an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity. “It’s a remarkable idea. And I think it should be examined, pursued, and done because I think it will create a different future for everyone.”
Netanyahu seemed to be taken by surprise by Trump’s plan during a joint press conference, and he offered a rather non-committal response to the idea at first.
“I don’t think he talked about sending US troops to complete the job of destroying Hamas,” he tells Hannity. “I also don’t think he said he’s going to fund it. He said that neighboring states, wealthy states, would do it.”
“But the actual idea of allowing Gazans who want to leave to leave,” Netanyahu continues.
“I mean, what’s wrong with that? They can leave, they can then come back, they can relocate and come back.”
Top US officials also sought to walk back some aspects of Trump’s proposal, saying the removal would only be temporary.
Trump had said he hoped Gazans “wouldn’t want to return” to Gaza.
Top US diplomat Rubio won’t attend upcoming G20 meeting in South Africa
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will not attend the G20 meeting in South Africa, the top US diplomat says, days after President Donald Trump threatened to cut off funding to the African country.
South Africa will host a meeting of the foreign ministers of the G20 from February 20-21 in Johannesburg.
Witkoff, Rubio appear to soften aspects of Trump’s plan for Gaza, insist it would be temporary
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff appear to join National Security Adviser Mike Waltz and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt in walking back or softening some elements of Trump’s plan to take over Gaza that was unveiled yesterday.
Trump said yesterday that he wants all Palestinians “permanently” removed from Gaza, Rubio tells reporters that the move would only be temporary.
“What he very generously has offered is the ability of the United States to go in and help with debris removal, help with munitions removal, help with reconstruction, the rebuilding homes and businesses and things of this nature so that then people can move back in,” Rubio says in Guatemala City while on his first diplomatic trip abroad.
Trump also said the US might send troops to Gaza to advance his take-over plan.
But Witkoff told Republican senators in a closed-door lunch at the Capitol that Trump “doesn’t want to put any US troops on the ground, and he doesn’t want to spend any US dollars at all” on Gaza, Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri tells reporters.
Witkoff also told lawmakers that the administration had been “gestating on this plan for some time,” according to Hawley.