WASHINGTON 

US Middle East envoy Steven Witkoff said Thursday that President Donald Trump's plan for the Gaza Strip is not about "eviction."

"That doesn't mean that we're on an eviction plan," Witkoff told a conference in Miami.

"When the president talks about this, it means he wants to shake up everyone's thinking and think about what is compelling and what is the best solution for the Palestinian and Gazan people who live there," he added.

"For instance, do they want to live in a home there, or would they rather have an opportunity to resettle in some sort of better place, to have jobs, upside and financial prospects," Witkoff said.

Trump has repeatedly called for the US to “take over” Gaza and resettle its population to redevelop the enclave into “the Riviera of the Middle East.” The idea has been vehemently rejected by the Arab world and other nations, who said it amounts to ethnic cleansing.

A three-phase ceasefire deal has been in place in Gaza since Jan. 19, halting Israel’s 15-month war, which has killed more than 48,300 people and left the enclave in ruins.

"Well, I hope a lot of the goodwill from the first phase carries over to phase two because there's a lot of families who have children there who are held hostage," said Witkoff.

Witkoff said he thinks phase two is "more difficult."

"The issue with phase two is that there's supposed to be an end to the war as part of phase two, and I think the Israelis have a red line, which is, you can't have Hamas and the government.

"And so it's hard to sort of square that circle, but we're making a lot of progress in the conversations, and hopefully it will lead to some good things, good results," he added.