Relocation of Gazans would be temporary, says US secretary of state

US President Donald Trump's proposal to resettle Gaza's population would only be temporary, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said.

It follows Trump's suggestion that the US could "take over" Gaza and resettle around two million Palestinians living there – an idea that has drawn criticism from the UN, human rights groups and Arab leaders.

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt further clarified Trump's comments, saying the US was not planning to put "boots on the ground" in the territory.

Meanwhile, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has said Gazans "should be allowed to enjoy freedom of exit and immigration", but gave few details on how this would work.

Her comments come after Donald Trump proposed taking control of the Gaza Strip and redeveloping it into "the Riviera of the Middle East".

"The US will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it too," Trump said on Tuesday during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who called the idea "worth paying attention to".

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz also praised Trump's proposal, adding that Gazans "should be allowed to enjoy freedom of exit and immigration" by land, sea or air.

He said countries like Spain, Ireland and Norway – critics of the war – "are legally obligated to allow every Gazan resident to enter their territory".

He did not explain how the proposal would work – or whether Gazans would be able to return after reconstruction.

Spain's foreign minister has rejected the suggestion.