President Trump declined to say whether Palestinians should have a state of their own in the future, as questions linger over the implementation of his Gaza peace deal, Fox News reported.
Trump shared his thoughts with reporters aboard Air Force One as he returned from a whirlwind 24-hour trip through Israel and Egypt.
“Well, we’re going to have to see,” Trump told reporters when asked about how Gaza's future. “A lot of people like the one-state solution, some people like the two-state solution. We’ll have to see.”
After two years of war, much of Gaza has been utterly destroyed. For now, Trump is declining to say what Gaza's political future looks like in concrete terms as he focuses on clearing rubble.
"I’m not talking about single state or double state … I’m talking about the rebuilding of Gaza,” Trump said.
Trump's plans for Gaza have shifted considerably. Earlier this year, he sparked an outcry for suggesting that the coastal strip could be developed into a luxury resort.
His 20-point peace plan at least raises the possibility of a Palestinian state when the conditions are right.
The Trump plan calls for a temporary international government to rebuild the enclave, with a "board of peace," chaired by Trump himself, to oversee the reconstruction effort until a reformed Palestinian Authority is ready to take the reins.
"While Gaza redevelopment advances and when the [Palestinian Authority] reform program is faithfully carried out, the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood, which we recognize as the aspiration of the Palestinian people,” reads point 19.
Trump secured a major victory on Monday as Hamas released the last living Israeli hostages taken in the October 7, 2023, attack. After a triumphant visit in Israel, Trump stopped in Egypt for a global peace summit with world leaders, where he signed phase one of the cease-fire.
While hope is mounting for a new chapter of regional stability, tough obstacles remain.
The issue of Palestinian statehood remains a major point of contention.
Israel's government under prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu objects to a two-state solution. Israel has doubled down on that position despite accepting Trump's broad framework for peace.
There are also questions of whether Hamas will comply with demands to give up their weapons and relinquish authority over Gaza, which has been ruled by the terror group since 2007.
