Live Update 
From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, March 12, 2025
From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, March 12, 2025
Hamas official welcomes Trump’s assertion that no Gazans will be expelled
Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem welcomes what he views as a retreat by US President Donald Trump from his stance on relocating Gazans, urging him to refrain from aligning with the vision of the “extreme Zionist right.”
Earlier today, Trump said “nobody is expelling anyone from Gaza” after a reporter referred to his plan to take over the Strip as an “expulsion” initiative.
When Trump introduced his vision early last month, he said all of Gaza’s residents would be permanently relocated to other countries.
When pressed as to whether he would relocate Palestinians by force, Trump insisted that no people in Gaza actually want to remain there.
Until this afternoon, though, he had never specifically ruled out the notion of expulsion.
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