The White House has tried to ease concerns about U.S. military intervention in Gaza, insisting that Donald Trump’s plan to control the enclave in Washington does not necessarily mean putting “boots on the ground.”
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that although the president has made a "historic proposal for the United States to take over Gaza", he "did not promise" to "have yet".
"The president made it very clear that the United States needs to be involved in this reconstruction effort," she said Wednesday. "This does not mean boots on the ground in Gaza. It does not mean that U.S. taxpayers will fund the work."
Levitt's comment comes the day after Trump caused a stir in the United States and around the world that the United States should "control" the Palestinian enclave and its entire population should be repositioned.
The plan also sparked hostile reactions from many in the president's own party, with some Republicans saying it deviating from his "America First" agenda.
"I thought we voted for America first," said Sen. Rand Paul, a Republican of Kentucky. "We don't have a business thinking about another career that will doom our treasure and spill our soldiers' blood."
Republican Senator Josh Hawley, from Missouri, responded to his concerns. He told Jewish Insider: “I don’t know that I think this is the best use of American resources spending a lot of money in Gaza.”
Some party members believe Trump's proposal contradicts his long-term criticism of the United States' intervention in "endless" foreign wars.
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, from South Carolina, described the plan as “problematic.” "I think most South Carolinas may not be excited about sending Americans to take over Gaza," he said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio tried to silence the annoyance of Trump's proposal, saying it was not a "hostile move" but as a "reconstruction offer."
“What he is very generous in providing is the ability of the United States to enter and help remove debris, help remove ammunition, help rebuild, rebuild houses and businesses and things of this nature so that people can come back,” he said.
Other Republicans rallied behind the president. House Republican spokesman Mike Johnson admitted the news was “sayed by many in surprise” but insisted it was “suddenly cheered by people around the world.”
"He is taking bold, decisive action to ensure peace in the region. Of course, it's a bold move. It's a bold move. It's more bold than ever before," Johnson said.
Meanwhile, Democrats accused Trump of supporting “ethnic cleansing” in the enclave and accused the president of abandoning the needs of American voters and remitting funds to faraway areas.
"He just said it would be the U.S. policy to force the replacement of 2MN Palestinians from the Canadian Belt," said Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Democratic Maryland. "That was cleaning up race with another name. "
"He did a good job of cutting off Americans who worked from federal funds, and funds to the Israeli government continued to flow," said Democratic Congressman Rashida Tlaib.