US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that the Trump administration is giving Arab nations time to present a viable proposal for post-war Gaza, but for now, "the only plan is the Trump plan."
Speaking on The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show, Rubio emphasized that while a ceasefire appeared to be holding, the key issue remained: "At some point, then you’ve got to figure out, okay, what happens with Gaza?"
According to the official statement released by the US Department of State, he criticized Arab nations for expressing support for Palestinians while failing to take action.
"None of them want to take any Palestinians, none of them have a history of doing anything for Gaza in that matter," Rubio said.
Trump has repeatedly called to seize control of Gaza and resettle Palestinians to neighboring countries after Israel’s genocidal war to build what he calls “the Riviera of the Middle East.”
His proposal was met with widespread condemnations from Palestinians, Arab countries, and many other nations across the world, including Canada, France, Germany, and the UK.
Efforts for alternative Gaza plan
Rubio also confirmed that regional leaders are set to meet in Saudi Arabia in the coming weeks to develop an alternative plan.
He said the US would evaluate their proposal but warned that any plan "that leaves Hamas there is going to be a problem because Israel is not going to tolerate it."
The secretary of state also ruled out American military involvement in removing Hamas from Gaza, stressing: "Someone has to confront those guys. Who’s that going to be? It’s not going to be American soldiers."
He added that if regional actors fail to take action, "then Israel is going to have to do it, and then we’re back to where we’ve been."
Rubio confirmed his upcoming trip to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Israel to discuss the issue, following earlier talks with Egypt and Jordan.
"Hopefully they’re going to have a really good plan to present to the president," he said. Until then, he reiterated, “the only plan is the Trump plan."
