From the Liveblog of
Thursday, February 6, 2025
Witkoff, Rubio appear to soften aspects of Trump’s plan for Gaza, insist it would be temporary
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
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.
