The UK Government’s view is that “Palestinians must be able to return to their homes and rebuild their shattered lives”, the Environment Secretary has said, after Donald Trump proposed the US could redevelop Gaza into “the Riviera of the Middle East”. Steve Reed said the US President “deserves credit” for his role in securing the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, but both he and the Conservatives declined to offer a “running commentary” on the US leader’s remarks.

Overnight, Mr Trump suggested that he does not “think people should be going back” to Gaza. “You can’t live in Gaza right now,” he said. “I think we need another location. I think it should be a location that’s going to make people happy.”. He also said that the US would take ownership of the Gaza Strip and turn it into the “Riviera of the Middle East” in which the “world’s people” – including Palestinians – could live.

“We’ll make sure that it’s done world class,” Mr Trump said. “It’ll be wonderful for the people – Palestinians, Palestinians mostly, we’re talking about.”. He made the comments as he held talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, where the two leaders discussed the conflict. Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Wednesday, Mr Reed said it would be “inappropriate” to provide a “running commentary” on what the president has said.

“I think it’s right that I should share with you the UK Government’s view of what should happen,” he said. “It would be inappropriate for me to provide a running commentary on what Donald Trump says, or indeed any other world leader.”. He added: “While we’re talking about Donald Trump, I think he deserves credit for his role in securing this ceasefire in the first place. That was clearly the important staging post towards getting the longer-term peace that we want to see.

“But … the UK Government’s view is, and will remain, that Palestinians must be able to return to their homes and rebuild their shattered lives.”. Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel said that “no one country will be able to do this on their own” when asked about Mr Trump’s comments. She told Times Radio that “we will have to wait and see, because no one country will be able to do this on their own. Our partners, our allies, in the Gulf states and the Middle East, we’ve already heard from the Saudi government as well, they will all have a role to play.

“And, you know, there’s something else that we’ve all been discussing for many years, in fact, which is also the Abraham Accords and normalising relations between … with the Middle East and the United States.”. She later added: “I genuinely believe that we have to focus on seeing the hostages being released, because that is absolutely pivotal. It is critical to bringing about a sustainable end to the conflict.”.

Asked about her position on what the president had said overnight, Dame Priti said that she would not give “a running commentary on those overnight comments”. She also claimed that she is “not” scared to say what she thinks about the US leader. Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats have described the suggestions from Mr Trump as “bizarre and also dangerous”. The party’s foreign affairs spokesman Calum Miller said: “It shows casual disregard for the rights and aspirations of Palestinians and threatens the basis for peace at this fragile moment.