WASHINGTON

US President Donald Trump said Thursday that he wants people in the Gaza Strip to be safe.

"I want the people of Gaza to be safe, more importantly," Trump told reporters, when asked whether he still wants the US to "take over" Gaza.

"I want to see safety for the people of Gaza. They’ve gone through hell," he added.

The president first floated his proposal for the US to take ownership of Gaza in February. The plan was widely rebuffed by nations around the world, but Trump has continued to raise it sporadically over the course of the past three months.

Earlier this week, Trump said he hopes a ceasefire in Gaza will be reached "sometime next week."

He said Tuesday that he will discuss Gaza and Iran with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu next week in Washington, DC.

The Israeli army, despite international calls for a ceasefire, has pursued a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, killing more than 57,100 Palestinians, most of them women and children, since October 2023.