Trump says 'not confident' in Gaza ceasefire as he removes settler sanctions
Newly inaugurated US President Donald Trump has suggested the ceasefire in Gaza is unlikely to hold, as he lifts a range of sanctions his predecessor imposed on Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.
Asked by a journalist about the ceasefire deal that came into effect over the weekend, Trump said he was "not confident" about its long-term prospects.
"That's not our war; it's their war. But I'm not confident," Trump said.
"I looked at a picture of Gaza. Gaza is like a massive demolition site."
He added that the enclave, which has been reduced to rubble by 15 months of Israeli bombardment, was a "phenomenal location on the sea" that could be rebuilt.
"You know, everything's good. It's like, some beautiful things could be done with it," he said.
Trump's Gaza comments came shortly after he introduced a raft of measures to begin his second term in the White House.
Aside from executive orders withdrawing the US from international climate change agreements and pardons for supporters who stormed the Capitol on 6 January 2021, he announced the lifting of sanctions on a range of settlers in the West Bank accused of violence against Palestinians.
Joe Biden's executive order from February 2024 paved the way for the designation of settlers and groups accused of perpetrating violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in Israeli settler and army attacks in the West Bank since the beginning of the war in Gaza in October 2023.
The US Treasury and State Department sanctioned several far-right individuals and groups - including a settler accused of leading a riot in the town of Huwwara which led to the death of a Palestinian man and torching of homes.
The Palestinian Authority warned on Tuesday that removing the sanctions on the settlers would lead to an escalation of violence against Palestinians.
"Lifting sanctions on extremist settlers encourages them to commit more crimes against our people," the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
It pointed to recent attacks by settlers throughout the West Bank that left 21 wounded.
During his first term, Trump moved the US embassy to Jerusalem and negotiated the recognition of Israel by a number of Arab states, despite Palestinian protestations.
Numerous Israeli politicians have welcomed Trump's victory, believing he will give the country a freer hand in the region.
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