Saudi Arabia, an important American ally, weighed in quickly on Trump’s expanded idea to take over the Gaza Strip in a sharply worded statement, noting that its long call for an independent Palestinian state was a “firm, steadfast and unwavering position.”

The people of Gaza are not pawns in a political game − they are human beings with a right to live in dignity, safety, and peace in their homeland.

In a shift of rhetoric, White House press secretary Leavitt said Trump has not committed to putting U.S. troops on the ground in the Gaza Strip and that he only wants to see temporary resettlement of Palestinians.

President Trump on Tuesday proposed the U.S. could take over the Gaza Strip. Mr. Trump's son-in-law, who took a lead role on Middle East policy during the first Trump administration, made strikingly similar comments to Harvard's Middle East initiative a year ago.