Trump sidesteps question on Palestinian statehood after Gaza ceasefire deal

US President Donald Trump declined on Monday to endorse a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, saying his current focus is on rebuilding Gaza.

"I'm talking about something very much different. We're talking about rebuilding Gaza," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One during his return flight from Egypt when asked about the remarks of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el Sisi calling for a two-state solution and an independent Palestinian state.

"I’m not talking about single state or double state or two state. We’re talking about the rebuilding of Gaza," Trump said.

Earlier Monday, Trump and Sisi hosted over 20 world leaders in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh for a summit to sign a Gaza ceasefire deal, with Türkiye, Egypt, and Qatar serving as guarantors.

“A lot of people like the one-state solution. Some people like the two-state solution. We’ll have to see. I haven’t commented on that," Trump said, adding that he’ll be in coordination with countries on future plans for Gaza.

Trump announced on Wednesday that Israel and Hamas agreed to the first phase of a 20-point plan he laid out on September 29 to bring a ceasefire to Gaza, release all Israeli captives being held there in exchange for around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, and a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the entire Palestinian enclave.

The first phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement took effect on Friday under Trump’s plan to end a two-year Israeli war on the enclave.

A second phase of the plan calls for the establishment of a new governing mechanism in Gaza, the formation of a security force comprising Palestinians and troops from Arab and Muslim countries, and the disarmament of Hamas.

Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed more than 67,800 Palestinians in Gaza, most of them women and children, leaving the enclave largely uninhabitable.