United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that President Donald Trump's recent comments about Washington taking ownership of Gaza simply shows the country's "offer [and] willingness to become responsible for the reconstruction of that area."

"Gaza has been severely damaged," he mentioned at a joint press conference with Guatemala's President Bernardo Arevalo, adding that there are still unexploded munitions and Hamas weaponry still "buried underground."

Rubio stressed that people won't be able to live in the area while the clearing-up process is underway. "In the interim, obviously, people are gonna have to live somewhere while you are rebuilding," he remarked. Trump reiterated earlier that Egypt and Jordan should take in Palestinian refugees.