But beneath his astonishing plan were echoes of forced displacement that have shaped Palestinian society since 1948. The establishment of Israel that year in the Arab-Israeli war is known to Palestinians as the Nakba, or “catastrophe,” because of the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who fled or were expelled from their homes.

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday that President Trump has not committed to sending troops to war-torn Gaza, and that he will not spend U.S. funds rebuilding it. Trump’s comments suggesting otherwise the previous day inflamed the region.