Donald Trump said the US could "take over" Gaza, in a joint news conference with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House
The president says the US could "do a real job" by removing unexploded bombs and economically redeveloping the Palestinian territory into "the Riviera of the Middle East"
He also proposed that Palestinians should be resettled outside of Gaza while it was rebuilt, though countries throughout the Middle East have previously rejected this proposal
Netanyahu - the first foreign leader to visit in the US president's second term - said Trump's plan was an idea "worth paying attention to"
The BBC's Diplomatic Correspondent Paul Adams writes the US president "continues to startle everyone with his proposals for Gaza", calling it "head-spinning stuff"
Trump also said Iran "cannot have a nuclear weapon" and it would be "unfortunate" if Tehran thought it could develop atomic bombs
Netanyahu told his host he is "the greatest friend Israel has ever had" - the two leaders were close allies during Trump's first term, when he relocated the American embassy to Jerusalem, a move that Palestinians condemned
Watch: Trump says US could 'take over' Gaza and rebuild it
Image source, EPATrump and Netanyahu are sitting side-by-side taking questions from reporters.
Trump is reiterating some of his remarks from earlier, saying that Gazans should be given land elsewhere because they can't return there.
"There's a lot of fires, but we'll put them out," he tells reporters.
Yolande Knell
Middle East correspondent
Image source, ReutersFor the Israeli prime minister, this Washington visit is a boost on the world stage after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for him on allegations of war crimes.
Washington does not recognise the court - meaning it has no obligation to detain Netanyahu - and has strongly condemned the ICC move.
An arrest warrant was also issued for former foreign minister Yoav Gallant.
In December, Israel appealed against the warrants, saying that they had not followed the correct notification procedure and that the court did not have jurisdiction, according to the Times of Israel.
Tom Bateman
Reporting from the White House
I watched Netanyahu’s armoured car, displaying both Israeli and US flags, swing past us here outside the entrance to the West Wing.
It pulled up ready to be greeted by Donald Trump at the door.
The two men spoke briefly before the president gestured to the prime minister to greet the waiting press, which is out in vast numbers.
We’ve been standing at our live camera position for the last 90 minutes, where we’ve been able to hear the near constant chants of nearby protesters, only occasionally drowned out by the sound of police sirens.
Watch: Trump calls Gaza 'demolition site' and suggests building 'fresh' piece of land
Speaking to reporters at an executive order signing ahead of his meeting with Netanyahu, Trump said Palestinians should move because "the Gaza thing has not worked".
"I think they should get a good, fresh, beautiful piece of land, and we get some people to put up the money to build it and make it nice and make it habitable and enjoyable," he said. "I think that would be a lot better than going back to Gaza, which has had just decades and decades of death."
Trump suggested those "pieces of land" could be in Egypt or Jordan. Asked by a reporter whether that would amount to forcibly displacing people from Gaza, Trump claimed that if Gazans had an opportunity to leave, "they'd love" to.
"They're there because they have no alternative. What do they have? It is a big pile of rubble right now. I mean, have you seen the pictures of it?"
Middle Eastern countries have consistently rejected proposals to transfer displaced people from Gaza, warning such a move would threaten regional stability.
Speaking to reporters earlier, senior Trump administration officials pushed back on claims that Trump wanted to forcibly move people from Gaza. Instead, they said, Trump wanted to make Gaza "habitable", adding that rebuilding the area could take 10 to 15 years because of the damage after 15 months of war.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has arrived at the White House.
He and President Trump will hold a bilateral meeting firstly with reporters present, before taking the meeting behind closed doors.
That will be followed by a news conference, which we will bring you all the key lines from, so keep checking in with us.
Watch: Netanyahu arrives at White House for meeting with Trump
Yolande Knell
Middle East correspondent
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly extended his trip to Washington until Saturday and in that time he can be expected to meet with other US leaders beyond President Donald Trump.
But it is the Trump sit-down today everyone is curious about.
Netanyahu told reporters before he left Israel he would discuss "victory over Hamas", countering Iran and freeing all hostages with Trump, according to media reports.
The first foreign leader to meet Trump at the White House in his second term, Netanyahu is in Washington at a critical juncture for the Gaza ceasefire.
After he arrived in the US capital the Israeli ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, who took up his post one week ago, described this as "an historic visit" on X.
"The US-Israel friendship is strong and is getting stronger," he added.
Netanyahu - facing a struggle for his political survival - has repeatedly stated that the existing Gaza deal is for a temporary ceasefire and that Israel has reserved "the right to return to fighting" against Hamas, saying this would have US backing.
His office has also indicated that this week’s trip, and specifically a meeting with Steve Witkoff, the US Middle East envoy who was a key mediator in the ceasefire, will start negotiations for a more permanent end to the war and the release of remaining hostages.
The two leaders are expected to discuss a range of regional issues, as well, including reviving efforts to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia and how to deal with Iran, which twice directly attacked Israel with missiles and drones last year.
Both men are also keen to build on the Abraham Accords, which set up diplomatic ties between Israel and several Arab countries, including the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, in Trump's first term.
Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the White House
It's extremely busy just outside the Oval Office ahead of Netanyahu's arrival.
Several dozen reporters have congregated outside, including a large contingent from the Israeli press corps.
Along a paved walkway near what is known as Pebble Beach, uniformed service members from the U.S. armed forces have formed into two lines, reached holding the flag of a U.S. state.
If everything runs on schedule, Netanyahu is expected to arrive in about shortly.
Although not visible from the White House grounds, chanting and megaphones from a nearby protest are clearly audible.
Yolande Knell
Middle East correspondent
In his previous term, the US president gave a series of wins to Netanyahu.
As well as securing the signing the Abraham Accords, Trump notably relocated the US embassy to Jerusalem, a move which was condemned by the Palestinians and others, and recognised Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights, which is otherwise seen internationally as Syrian territory.
The new Trump administration includes pro-Israel figures expected to push back against pressure from other world powers over the Gaza war and endorse expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
They are considered to be illegal under international law, although Israel disagrees.
Trump has lifted Biden-era sanctions on Israeli settlers accused of violence against Palestinians and reportedly approved a shipment of 2,000lb bombs that had previously been blocked.
However, Trump and Netanyahu have had an up-and-down personal relationship and there is extensive speculation in the Israeli media about how the upcoming meeting between the pair will unfold.
Commenting in Israel's Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, Nahum Barnea writes that "Netanyahu will try to sniff out the new Trump and to get a sense of what animates him, what turns him off and what infuriates him."
Ilana Gritzewsky is a former hostage - her partner is still being held by Hamas.
In the clip below, filmed at a rally in Washington DC, she pleads with President Trump to persist with the current ceasefire deal.
"If this deal falls apart, the hostages will die," she says.
"And you are the only one who can stop it from happening. Please, President Trump, don't let them be forgotten."
Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the White House
President Trump is currently in the Oval Office, where he is signing an executive order withdrawing the US from the main UN agency for Palestinian refugees, or UNRWA, as well as re-imposing the "maximum pressure" campaign on Iran.
The executive order also withdraws the US from the UN Human Rights Council.
The Iran executive order says it is designed to prevent the country from obtaining nuclear weapons, as well as hurting it economically through the use of sanctions and bringing down Iranian oil exports.
Speaking to reporters, Trump says the order is "very tough" on Iran and that he was "torn" on signing it.
"Hopefully, we are not going to have to use it very much," he says. "I'm unhappy to do it."
This visit has followed period of turmoil in the middle east, with a 15-month war in Gaza leaving more than 46,000 Palestinians killed and more than two million people displaced within the territory.Here's a quick look at some key events:
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While we've been reporting in events in the US, over in Tel Aviv a rally has been taking place - including outside the US Embassy Branch Office.
Some people in the Israeli city have been showcasing placards featuring images of Trump, calling for all hostages to be returned to the country.
Image source, Reuters
Image source, Reuters
Image source, ReutersBernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the White House
Administration officials have made it clear that phase two of the ceasefire plan - which could see the return of remaining hostages and a withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza - will be among the primary topics of discussion between Trump and Netanyahu this afternoon.
In the briefing call earlier today, one White House official told reporters that observers "will hear some unity in how they and we intend to pursue that".
"Normalisation is one of the top goals in the Middle East for President Trump and for this administration," the official added. "So that will be a focus."
Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the White House
We've just heard from the Trump administration's national security adviser, Michael Waltz, along with special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff.
Speaking to reporters outside the West Wing of the White House, Witkoff says that US and Israeli officials have done over "guidelines and parameters" for the second phase of the ceasefire plan.
He also says that the US government views a return to Gaza's destruction as unfeasible for its residents.
Witkoff adds that the administration believes it is "physically impossible" to repair Gaza to a level in which it is inhabitable within the timeframe he says is currently set out in the agreement.
"There's nothing left," he told reporters.
Waltz says the US is "looking to a number of partners in the region to solve this problem", referring to neighbouring countries like Egypt or Jordan to agree to taking displaced Palestinians.
Middle Eastern nations have consistently refused to transfer displaced people from Gaza, warning such a proposal threatens regional stability.
Waltz goes on to say Trump is "driving practical, common sense solutions to what is admittedly a very difficult situation".
Additionally, Waltz says that he believes that the current geopolitical situation in the Middle East - including a weakened Hezbollah, the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria and Iran being "on the back foot" - has created conditions for negotiations to bear fruit.
"There's a lot of opportunity in the region, and mostly, there is optimism," he says, adding that he believes that the region "is on the precipice" of expanding the Abraham Accords.
The accords were an agreement that led to a normalisation of ties between Israel, the UAE, Bahrain and several other countries at the end of Trump's first term.
Netanyahu is expected to arrive at the White House at 16:00 EST (21:00 GMT).
Image source, Getty ImagesThe Israeli prime minister's trip to the White House comes as he is facing both political and legal troubles in his home country.
He has been charged in three separate cases involving fraud, bribery and breach of trust. In one case, he is accused of accepting luxurious gifts from a wealthy businessman. He has denied all the charges.
Netanyahu is also struggling for political survival, with members of his far-right coalition pressuring him to resume Israeli's military offensive and put an end to the temporary cease-fire deal in Gaza.
If any of his other allies quit, his government would lose its majority in the Israeli parliament.
Nomia Iqbal
North America correspondent
I was just able to ask a few questions to senior White House officials just a few hours before Netanyahu's meeting with Trump.
I asked for clarity on Trump's recent comments, which we reported on earlier, saying that he wants to "clean out" Gaza, while many Palestinians say they want to go home.
National Security Adviser Michael Waltz says in response that Trump is looking at the situation "from a humanitarian standpoint".
"You have these people that are sitting with literally thousands of unexploded ordnance and piles of rubble," he says. "You know, at some point we have to look realistically... how do you rebuild Gaza?"
I asked whether people in Gaza would be able to return to their homes.
Waltz says it would take 10 to 15 years to rebuild Gaza, not five years.
US Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, says the conditions in the small territory of two million people are dangerous - with "buildings that could tip over at any moment" after more than a year of war.
"So when the president talks about cleaning it out, he talks about making it habitable. And this is a long-range plan," Witkoff says.
On his US visit so far, Netanyahu has already spoken with US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff - who had emerged as a key mediator in the lead up to the ceasefire, even before Trump had taken office on 20 January.
Their conversation in the US follows a brief visit from Witkoff to Tel Aviv last week.
According to Netanyahu's office, the meeting with Witkoff in Washington yesterday signalled the start of negotiations around the second stage of the ceasefire deal.
Following talks, including with Witkoff, Netanyahu's office announced that Israel was preparing for a "working-level delegation to leave for Doha at the end of this week in order to discuss technical details related to the continued implementation of the agreement".
On the ceasefire, Witkoff said: "It's holding so far, so we're certainly hopeful."
Watch: What President Trump has said about Gaza
Previous comments from President Trump have indicated that he would seek for Egypt and Jordan to take in Palestinians from Gaza after 15 months of fighting between Israel and Hamas.
Last month, Trump described Gaza as a "demolition site" while speaking to reporters on board Air Force One.
"You're talking about probably a million and a half people, and we just clean out that whole thing," he said, adding this could be "temporary" or "long-term".
"I'd rather get involved with some of the Arab nations and build housing at a different location where maybe they can live in peace for a change."
Hamas and the Palestinian Authority condemned the idea at the time.
Countries and organizations including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, the Palestinian Authority and the Arab League all rejected the idea of transferring Gazans to neighbouring countries.
The countries warned he move could "threaten the region’s stability, risk expanding the conflict, and undermine prospects for peace and coexistence among its peoples".
Egypt, Jordan, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) have all welcomed the ceasefire and said they looked forward to working with Trump "to achieve a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East based on the two-state solution".
Posting on X on Sunday as he was leaving for the US, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was "telling" that this would be Trump’s first meeting with a foreign leader post inauguration.
"I think it's a testimony to the strength of the Israeli-American alliance," he wrote.
"It's also a testimony to the strength of our personal friendship."
Netanyahu added that topics that would be discussed in the meeting would include the release of all Israeli hostages and the threat from Iran.
Senior Trump administration officials have also said the pair plan to talk about maintaining the ceasefire and how to free the remaining hostages all well as how to work towards peace and stability in the Middle East.
Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the White House
Earlier today, senior Trump administration officials briefed reporters on today’s meeting, saying that the US president is "extremely focused" on the remaining hostages and "ensuring that Hamas cannot continue to govern is and out of power".
One official said that, beyond that, Trump views Gaza as an uninhabitable "demolition site".
"[He] sees it as impractical for it to be rebuilt within three to five years [and] believes it will take at least 10 to 15 years," the official said, adding that Trump believes it is "inhumane" to force people to live there.
The official said that the administration is "looking for solutions for helping the people have Gaza have normal lives, while the Gaza Strip is ultimately being rebuilt".