Trump touts 'freedom zone' plan for Gaza as scores killed in Israeli airstrikes on enclave

Scores of people were killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza on Thursday as U.S. President Donald Trump repeated his plan of turning the enclave into a "freedom zone."

Trump was speaking during his trip to the Middle East, which did not include a stopover in Israel.

Lee Seung-jae has more.

With ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas stalled, the Israeli military conducted airstrikes on dozens of sites in Gaza from Wednesday night and into Thursday.

The latest barrage of airstrikes killed at least 114 Gazans, with witnesses saying the Israeli military targeted medical facilities, including pediatric clinics.

The airstrikes were also carried out as U.S. President Donald Trump was on his tour of the Middle East.

Israel was excluded from his itinerary.

However, Trump on Thursday doubled down on his proposal to displace Gazans, stressing again that the enclave should be made into a "freedom zone."

Speaking to reporters after a round table with business leaders in Qatar, Trump said that "Gaza has been a territory of death and destruction for many years," adding that the U.S. should "get involved and make it a "freedom zone."

All Arab states have rejected his plan, with Hamas calling it "ethnic cleansing."

Meanwhile, Israeli media reported that ceasefire talks mediated by the U.S. have not made any progress due to differences in opinion between Israel and Hamas.

Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.