There is "almost nothing left" of Gaza and rebuilding the war-ravaged enclave could take 10 to 15 years, U.S. President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff told Axios in an interview at the end of his trip to the region on Thursday.

The president expanded on a controversial idea that was rejected by the Arab states and would represent a significant shift in U.S. policy.

President Donald Trump’s suggestion that Egypt and Jordan take in Palestinians from the war-ravaged Gaza Strip is being met with a hard “no” from the two U.S. allies

CAIRO (AP) — The leader of important U.S. ally Egypt on Wednesday rejected President Donald Trump’s suggestion that Egypt take in displaced Palestinians from Gaza, defying a U.S. president who has shown little patience for dissent from international partners.

U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff visited Gaza on Wednesday, then met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid the Gaza ceasefire and a regional diplomatic push.

White House envoy Steve Witkoff told Axios in an interview at the end of his trip to the Middle East that rebuilding Gaza could take between 10 and 15 years. Why it matters: The Trump administration wants to see the ceasefire continue and Gaza stabilized so it can move forward with its ambitious plans for the Middle East,

Trump said he discussed his vision on a call earlier in the day with King Abdullah II of Jordan and would speak Sunday with President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi of Egypt.