Rubio says Palestinians will have to relocate during 'interim' Gaza is being rebuilt

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Gaza currently is "not habitable" due to dangers such as unexploded weapons, and that people would have to live elsewhere while the area is rebuilt.

Rubio also said countries in the region should step forward and offer to help rebuild Gaza but did not say whether Palestinians would be able to return to the area under a proposal by US President Donald Trump.

"I think that's just a realistic reality, that in order to fix a place like that, people are going to have to live somewhere else in the interim," Rubio said.

In a joint statement on 1 February, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, the Palestinian Authority, and the Arab League rejected any plans to forcibly move Palestinians out of Gaza and the occupied West Bank.