Aides had sought to walk back the president’s proposal, which drew condemnations. Israel’s defense minister said its military would draft plans for Gazans who wished to leave.

President Donald Trump’s plan to seek U.S. ownership of the Gaza Strip and move out its population has found a sympathetic ear in Israel

Life in northern Gaza is desperate – there is no water, no electricity and so much rubble that there’s barely enough space to put up tents. Yet many Palestinians are determined to stay and rebuild – even if US President Donald Trump wants them out of the enclave so he can create a Middle Eastern “riviera.