I
n a sudden shift, President Trump has put the brakes on his contentious "Gaza plan," downplaying its significance as merely a real estate deal between the US and Israel. This move comes after the proposal sparked widespread alarm in the Middle East and among America's Arab allies, with the UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemning it as "tantamount to ethnic cleansing."

    The plan, which would displace two million Palestinians from Gaza, had been met with fierce opposition from regional leaders, including Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who insisted that Gaza is an integral part of Palestine. Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and other countries in the region have also rejected the proposal.

    In a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Trump seemed to backtrack on his earlier stance, stating that there are "no deliberations" over the plan. He framed it as a simple real estate transaction, where the US would invest in Gaza, creating stability and peace in the region. Trump claimed that Israel would supply security to the area once the Palestinians have left, rendering US troop deployment unnecessary.

    The White House's partial walk-back of the plan has been met with skepticism, given the significant implications for regional dynamics and human rights. As the situation unfolds, it remains to be seen whether Trump's words will translate into concrete actions or merely serve as a temporary reprieve from the controversy surrounding his Gaza proposal.