US President Donald Trump meets with Irish Prime Minister Michael Martin in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC. AFP
Trump made the statement to reporters during his meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin in the Oval Office on Wednesday.
Earlier, as he prepared to meet Trump in Washington, Martin called for a surge of aid into Gaza, as well as a ceasefire and the release of all remaining captives.
The comment marks a sharp reversal of Trump's earlier proposal for the US to take control of the Gaza Strip and forcibly deport its more than 2 million residents to neighbouring countries.
Trump has previously said he was not forcing his controversial plan for Gaza but only recommended it after facing pushback from Arab countries, especially Egypt and Jordan.
"I think that's a plan that works, but I'm not forcing it," Trump said. "I'm just going to sit back and recommend it."
The plan faced fierce opposition from Arab countries and the international community. Egypt, however, put forward a reconstruction plan ratified by the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to rebuild the territory without expelling its population.
The plan has received broad support from the international community, including major European countries, the EU as a whole, and China.
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