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United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday vowed that no Palestinians would be expelled from the besieged Gaza Strip.
“Nobody is expelling any Palestinians,” Trump said in response to a reporter’s question as he hosted Irish leader Micheál Martin in the Oval Office.
This comes as Trump continues to pursue his plan to take over the war-ravaged enclave.
Read Also: Nuclear Deal: Iran Takes Decision After Letter From Trump
Trump’s comments come after Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said last weekend that Tel Aviv would open a new “Emigration Authority” office under the Defense Ministry to manage the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza.
He said the plan has the support of the Trump administration.
Recall that Trump reiterated in February his controversial proposal to take control of Gaza despite rejection from some European countries.
The US leader said he is committed to “owning” the war-ravaged enclave, Gaza, amid the fight between Israel and Hamas, a Palestinian militant group.
In other news, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has rejected holding negotiations with the United States over a nuclear deal after receiving a letter from President Donald Trump calling for such talks.
Recall that Trump said last week that he had sent the letter to Khamenei proposing nuclear talks.
However, the letter was handed over to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi on Wednesday by Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the president of the United Arab Emirates.
But while the two officials were meeting, Khamenei told a group of university students that Trump’s offer “is a deception aimed at shaping global opinion.”
“We negotiated for years, reached a complete and signed agreement, and then this individual tore it up,” Khamenei said.
“How can one negotiate under such circumstances? … When we know they won’t, what is the point of negotiating?”
