When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the White House in February, Trump once again shared his vision for the war-torn location. “The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip. We’ll do a job with it. We will own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous bombs and other weapons,” he said.

Trump's brief comments on Gaza came as he capped the first foreign tour of his second term, which saw him visit several Gulf countries but excluded key ally Israel.

Humanitarian support has collapsed in the enclave, which has been under total Israeli blockade for more than two months. Aid groups warn that the territory is on the brink of famine.