Bernd Debusmann Jr
Reporting from the White House

Image source, Bernd Debusmann Jr/BBC News

I'm at the White House, where President Trump is in for another busy day after a particularly eventful evening that drew attention from around the world.

So far - and with Trump, this is subject to change - we know that at 14:30 EST (19:30 GMT), Trump is due to meet with Texas Governor Greg Abbott.

Half an hour later, he will sign an order regarding transgender athletes in women's sports. We'll have more details on that shortly.

At 16:00 EST, he's slated to meet with California Governor Gavin Newsom, a long-time political foe. The two also met recently, when the newly sworn-in president visited areas devastated by blazes in the Los Angeles area.

There's also a briefing by Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt coming up shortly at 13:00 EST (18:00 GMT)

Among those already at the White House today is Peter Navarro, Trump's Senior Counselor for Trade and Manufacturing, who was seen walking into the West Wing just moments ago after describing Trump's proposed External Revenue Service as a "great thing" that will allow the US to collect tariffs and reduce taxes.

Image source, Getty Images

While many Republican lawmakers have supported Trump's comments on Gaza, others were more critical.

In a post on X, Republican Senator Rand Paul said the pursuit for peace "should be that of the Israelis and the Palestinians".

"I thought we voted for America First," he added: "We have no business contemplating yet another occupation to doom our treasure and spill our soldiers blood."

Trump's remarks were met with scepticism from Republican Senator Josh Hawley, who told Politico: "I don’t know that I think it’s the best use of United States resources to spend a bunch of money in Gaza. Let’s see what happens."

Trump avoids questions about the detailspublished at 17:09 Greenwich Mean Time 5 February

17:09 GMT 5 February

Tom Bateman
US State Department correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

President Donald Trump has so far avoided questions about details - meaning large parts of his proposal simply haven’t been explained.

Among questions he didn’t answer with clarity was why Palestinians in Gaza (most of whom are refugees from their historical homes in what is now Israel, to which they have never been allowed to return) would choose to leave their homes to be made to go to Egypt or other countries.

He also didn’t say how the US taking control of Gaza might compel people to go.

That’s why the proposal, insofar as it is clear, appears entirely unworkable and is a clear breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention (to which the US is a signatory) which strictly prohibits forcible transfers of populations “regardless of their motive”.

Amid the condemnation from Arab and Western nations, some are writing it off as entirely unrealistic - not serious, even.

However the plan could have more immediate consequences. That’s because it displaces the tenuous proposal that was being shaped by the Joe Biden administration for some kind of Arab or Palestinian control of Gaza the “day after” the war - or the end of phase 3 of the current ceasefire for hostage release deal.

While there was no clear agreement on this, negotiations had been continuing - brokered by the US - giving a shape to what Washington and the Arab countries saw as a medium-term future for Gaza - an end point of the current ceasefire process.

Now that end goal is dead in the water.

Instead of Palestinian or Arab governance and security for Gaza, the territory would instead be occupied or even annexed by the United States and built up over 15 years for “people of the world” while most Palestinians would be “resettled… permanently” elsewhere.

That is a profoundly different US proposal for Gaza’s future, while the mediated ceasefire negations between Israel and Hamas are currently poised at a critical juncture between the first and second phases.

In the last few moments, President Donald Trump has insisted that "everybody loves" his shock proposal for the United States to "take over" the Gaza Strip.

This is despite a resounding rejection by Palestinians, Middle East leaders, and governments around the world.

"Everybody loves it," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked about the reaction to his plan.

He then said it was "not the right time" for further questions as he was overseeing the swearing in of new US Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Earlier, US House Speaker Mike Johnson said the proposals have been "cheered by people all around the world".

Image source, Reuters

Image source, EPA

Since Trump made his controversial Gaza remarks yesterday, some Democrats have taken to social media to condemn his comments.

Many have accused the Republican president of "promoting ethnic cleaning" for saying Palestinians should leave Gaza and settle elsewhere.

"It is horrific," Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told reporters, adding: "It is part of the culmination of what I view to be genocide of the Palestinian people."

Michigan Representative Rashida Tlaib, who is Palestinian, called on her Democratic colleagues to speak out against the comments.

"Palestinians aren’t going anywhere," she wrote in a post on X.

Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut said Trump had “totally lost it". He added, external that “a U.S. invasion of Gaza would lead to the slaughter of thousands of US troops and decades of war in the Middle East. It’s like a bad, sick joke.”

Congressman Troy Carter, a Democrat from Louisiana, is one of a number of elected officials still in shock over Trump's unprecedented proposition for the US to take control of Gaza.

"The next French Riviera? Really? What about the people of Gaza? What about a two-state solution? What about decency? What about humanity," Carter said on X on Wednesday morning.

"Developing war-torn land like a Trump golf resort isn’t a peace plan—it’s an insult. Serious leaders pursue real solutions, not real estate deals."

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Reuters

We've just heard a flurry of support for Trump's proposals - from his national security adviser, a US diplomat and the US House Speaker.

We're now turning our attention to voices from Gazans who have spoken to our colleagues at BBC Arabic, here's a summary of what we've heard from three Palestinian men:

We will not leave Gaza: One Palestinian man tells the BBC that Gazans have "endured relentless bombing and widespread destruction", reiterating a message we've heard a lot today that "we will remain here, in Gaza, and rebuild it".

Deeply rooted: Another man tells our colleagues at BBC Arabic: "After all the suffering we’ve endured -bloodshed, destruction, displacement, and being forced away from our homes - how could we leave now? This is our right, our homeland, and our identity. No one can force us out of it. Palestinian people are deeply rooted in their land."

Illegal decision: Another man says that "Gaza is our home, the land of our ancestors, and we will not leave it. For me, it’s unthinkable to leave the Gaza Strip". He also says that "Arab counties must also reject this illegal decision", after Trump suggested that nearby countries of "great wealth" should help to relocate Gazans.

Image source, Reuters

We've just heard from US House Speaker Mike Johnson at a news conference, he praises Trump's "bold and decisive action", in an attempt to secure peace in Gaza.

He says that the initial announcement from Trump yesterday, which outlined his proposal for the US to "take over" Gaza, was greeted with surprise by many but, he thinks, was "cheered by people all around the world".

Pushed to give a yes or no on whether the US should take control of Gaza, Johnson does not answer, but says he is looking forward to meeting Netanyahu and says he has been a "close ally" of his.

"If you leave Gaza in its current form there's always a risk of another October 7, always a risk of proxies of Iran... all these terrorist organisations, whose openly stated goal is to eliminate Israel as a state.

"It just makes sense to make the neighbourhood there safer."

Image source, EPA

Let's hear some more from Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, who shares a real estate background with the president.

Speaking to Fox News on Tuesday, Witkoff says Gaza is a "dangerous place to live today" and argues that the president's plan was about giving Palestinians "hope".

"A better life is not necessarily tied to the physical space that you're in today," he said, adding that "a better life is about better opportunity, better financial conditions, better aspirations for you and your family."

"That doesn't occur because you get to pitch a tent in the Gaza Strip and you're surrounded by 30,000 munitions that could go off at any moment," he added.

According to Witkoff, Trump is saying "let's make it better for these people" and "if there are different places for them to live, let them make that choice".

Image source, Getty Images

Speaking to morning news shows today, US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz defended Trump's comments about Gaza, saying the president has been thinking about a proposal for months.

"He's not seeing any realistic solutions," Waltz told the BBC's US partner, CBS News. “We’ve been looking at it for weeks and months. Frankly, he’s been thinking about it since October 7."

Yesterday, before Trump suggested that the US "takeover" Gaza and Palestinians live elsewhere, Waltz and another senior official pushed back on the claim that Trump wanted to displace Palestinians, saying the president just wanted to make Gaza "habitable" again.

But today he said Trump should not be criticised for his "bold, fresh" idea.

"He’s a builder," Waltz told Fox News. "You can’t clear all this rubble, deal with all the underground damage from all the tunnels Hamas has built, start an actual rebuilding process that others should pay for, by the way, in the region underneath 2 million people, so they have to go somewhere."

Image source, Reuters

The US president's comments on Gaza have not appeared out of nowhere - in fact during his election campaign in October, Donald Trump was asked if Gaza could be rebuilt.

He replied: “Gaza could be better than Monaco,” adding that “it has the best location in the Middle East, the best water, the best everything”.

Trump’s remarks echo those of his son-in-law Jared Kushner, who said last February that Gaza’s “waterfront property … could be very valuable,” as reported by the Guardian, external.

Kushner, who was a senior foreign policy adviser under Trump’s first presidency, was tasked with preparing a peace plan for the Middle East - which he delivered during a two-day "workshop" in Bahrain in June 2019.

When a real-estate guy becomes US president, don't be surprised by proposals like thispublished at 15:17 Greenwich Mean Time 5 February

15:17 GMT 5 February

Anthony Zurcher
North America correspondent

When a real-estate developer becomes the US president, don’t be surprised if American foreign policy hinges on real-estate development.

That’s probably the biggest conclusion to draw from Donald Trump’s stunning proposal for the US to take over Gaza and turn it into a resort for all the people of the world to enjoy – a “Riviera of the Middle East”, in his words.

It’s a suggestion that flies in the face of the deeply held wishes of the Palestinian people and has been summarily rejected by the Arab nations that would have to play an integral part in resettling those displaced from war-torn Gaza.

This isn’t the first time Trump has viewed a seemingly intractable foreign policy challenge as an exciting business opportunity. During meetings with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un in 2018, President Trump marveled at the hermit nation’s “great beaches”, which could someday have the “best hotels”.

Those ambitious dreams have been shelved – and Trump’s Gaza vision, which would require a significant commitment of American blood and fortune at a time when the US is paring back its foreign involvements, will almost certainly meet the same fate.

Trump’s Gaza proposal, however, does represent a marked shift in America’s commitment to a two-state solution to the Palestinian situation. A generous interpretation of the current American strategy is that it is designed to shake up the Middle East powers and force them to commit more of their own resources, and political will, to finding a long-term solution to the situation in Gaza.

Image source, EPA

As international reaction to Trump's comments on a "takeover" of the Gaza Strip continues to pour in, we've heard from Jordan's King Abudullah II.

A statement released by Jordan's Royal Hashemite Court, which oversees King Abudullah II's official engagements, says a call took place today between the King and Qatar's Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

"His Majesty stressed the need to put a stop to settlement activities, expressing rejection of any attempts to annex land and displace the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, calling for ensuring Palestinians’ steadfastness on their land," the statement reads.

The King further called for greater international efforts to maintain the ceasefire and increase the humanitarian response to the area.

In the UK this lunchtime, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he has been moved to see recent images of "thousands of Palestinians walking through rubble to try to find their homes".

Let's share with you some of the latest images coming to us from Gaza - as people continue to return home following the ceasefire deal.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Eman Eriqat
BBC Arabic reporting from Ramallah

Here in the West Bank, Donald Trump’s latest remarks about a “US takeover” of Gaza has been met with widespread rejection - mixed with deep concern.

In the streets, one phrase is heard over and over: "A homeland is not a suitcase, and Palestinians will not leave."

The fear is real - not just among officials, but among ordinary people who see these statements as an attempt to repeat the horrors of 1948 and 1967.

The Palestinian leadership has swiftly condemned the plan, with officials warning it blatantly disregards international law and Palestinians' right to self-determination.

Beyond the official responses, there is a growing sense of unease. Many here worry the West Bank could be next, that Israel - emboldened by US support - will escalate settlement expansion and land annexation.

With military raids intensifying in recent weeks, some fear this could lay the groundwork for more displacement, more forced removals, and the further erasure of Palestinian presence on this land.

For now, tension hangs thick in the air. People are bracing for what comes next, fearing that Trump’s words are not just rhetoric, but a prelude to something far worse.

• We have this detailed explainer on everything you need to know about the history of the conflict

We have some more reaction from Gaza, as a Palestinian woman tells our colleagues at BBC Arabic that she "completely rejects" any suggestion that people living in Gaza should be removed from the strip.

"We will live and die in our homeland, the land of Gaza," she says.

"We’ve endured a year and a half of war, death, and destruction... after all we've been through, how could we agree to such a decision?"

Following on from UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's reiteration of Britain's support for a two state solution, the UK government will speak to President Trump and his team about his Gaza "takeover" proposals.

Starmer's official spokesman says that the "UK's position is there must be a scenario where Palestinians are able to return home".

Downing Street has rejected the idea that Trump's comments could jeopardise the ceasefire deal in the Middle East.

When asked whether Trump's proposals could put the agreement at risk, the spokesman responds: "No, and we will obviously continue to support the implementation of that."

He adds: "We will work with President Trump and his team on a wide range of issues, including the Middle East."

• For a reminder on the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, we have this explainer on what we know

Alice Cuddy
Reporting from Jerusalem

We’ve been speaking to some Israelis from the southern communities - near the Gaza border targeted in the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks - about their reactions to Donald Trump’s comments.

Hilla Fanlon, from Netiv HaAsara, says “it is not a solution”.

“We’ve always operated under the understanding that we have to find a way to live side by side and we have to accept each other’s existence. October 7 proved that terrorists on the other side don’t accept us, so the position here is to get rid of the terrorists. But the idea of transferring an entire population away to make things quiet is not practical and not realistic,” she says.

A woman from Kibbutz Be’eri, who asked not to be named, said she thought Trump’s plan sounded “very good”.

“If it really can be done, maybe it’s good for everyone,” she said, adding that her main focus for now was on the remaining hostages being returned home.

Others said they were still trying to digest what the US president had said and how they felt about it.

Last night, President Donald Trump announced plans for a US "takeover" of the Gaza Strip during a meeting with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump also said Gazans could be resettled in countries such as Jordan and Egypt.

This morning, the international community has roundly condemned the comments.

Egypt's foreign minister rejected the proposal, saying Gaza must be rebuilt without Palestinians leaving. He was joined by a chorus of world leaders, who reiterated their support for a two-state solution in the region.

Hamas, which is engaged in a new round of ceasefire negotiations with Israel, called the plans "absurd" and "hostile", while the Palestinian Authority's president said they were "a serious violation of international law".

Meanwhile, Palestinians in Gaza have told the BBC they will not leave their homes, while our correspondent Paul Adams says Trump seems poised to upend decades of US Middle East policy.

Stay with us for more updates, reaction and analysis from across the globe.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has reiterated Britain's support for a two-state solution, and stressed the importance of sustaining the current ceasefire in Gaza.

Asked about Trump's plans for a US takeover of Gaza during Prime Minister's Questions, Starmer said he was struck by recent pictures of thousands of Palestinians walking home through the Gaza rubble.

"They must be allowed home, they must be allowed to rebuild, and we should be with them in that rebuild on the way to a two-state solution," he told the House of Commons.

He also said he found images of released British-Israeli hostage Emily Damari's reunion with her mother "extremely moving" and stressed the importance of a sustained ceasefire, with remaining hostages released and aid allowed into Gaza.

• You can read more about today's PMQs in our separate live coverage