Donald Trump has been speaking to reporters ahead of talks with Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, at the White House. The US president said he would support an effort to permanently resettle Palestinians from Gaza to places where they can live without fear of violence.

Trump described Gaza as a “demolition site”. “The whole thing is a mess. It’s all death”, he said: “I think we need another location … If we can get a beautiful area to resettle people permanently. I believe Palestinians should not be going back to Gaza. Why would they want to return? The place has been hell”.

Asked how many people he believed should be resettled from Gaza, Trump replied: “All of them”.

Donald Trump has previously called on Gaza’s neighbouring countries such as Jordan and Egypt to take in Palestinians temporarily while reconstruction takes place in the strip. But the US president’s comments just now mark the first time he has publicly floated making that resettlement permanent.

“I don’t think people should be going back to Gaza”, Trump said while sitting in the Oval Office with Benjamin Netanyahu.