Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem on Wednesday welcomed US President Donald Trump's statement that no one will be expelled from the Gaza Strip.

"If Trump's statements represent a retreat from any idea of deporting Gazan residents, then these are welcome statements," Qassem said.

He added that the terrorist organization calls to continue with this position and to force Israel to implement all the terms of the ceasefire.

Qassem’s statement followed comments by Trump, during a meeting with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin, in which Trump’s plan for the Gaza Strip came up.

A reporter asked the Irish Prime Minister if he would discuss the President's plan to "expel" Gazans, at which point Trump interjected, "Nobody's expelling any Palestinians." He then mocked the reporter's news outlet.

Trump’s Gaza plan, which he presented during a recent press conference with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stipulated for the US to take over the Gaza Strip and rebuild it after the war with Israel, while local residents would relocate to countries such as Jordan and Egypt.

Arab countries have rejected the plan outright and instead endorsed an Egyptian plan aimed at the reconstruction of Gaza, which carries a $53 billion price tag.

US State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce stated last week that the Egyptian-led initiative does not align with the expectations set by Trump.

The plan "does not fulfill the requirements, the nature, of what President Trump was asking for," said Bruce, adding, "It does not meet the expectations."

SIsi had previously urged the global community to support a plan for rebuilding Gaza without forcing its residents to leave.