Japanese government officials expressed confusion over U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal for a U.S. takeover of the Gaza Strip and the forced relocation of the entire Palestinian population there.

Asked about Trump’s remarks during a news conference on Feb. 5, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi remained cautious and would not give a direct opinion.

“(Japan) will continue to urge the parties concerned to improve the humanitarian situation through the steady implementation of the cease-fire agreement and to calm down the situation,” Hayashi, the top government spokesman, said.

Another government official gave a statement that has become common concerning the words of the U.S. president.

“It is hard to know what he really meant,” the official said. “We need to find out what kind of plan he has in mind.”

The official noted that Trump was reading from a prepared draft, so “it was not a spur-of-the-moment idea.”

Japan, which supports a “two-state solution” that recognizes Palestinian independence, is currently making arrangements to accept a small number of wounded and sick people from the Gaza Strip for treatment purposes.

A senior Foreign Ministry official said, “Trump’s remarks will not affect Japan’s policy.”

The Japanese government is prepared to let the situation settle down and proceed carefully with the design of the treatment system, the official said.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is scheduled to hold his first summit with Trump on Feb. 7 in the United States. After the meeting, a joint news conference will likely be held at the behest of the U.S. side.

There is a growing sense of caution within the Japanese government about what Trump might say at that news conference.

An official at the Prime Minister’s Office said Trump could make a surprise statement, like the one about the Gaza Strip.

“The same thing could happen at the news conference with Japan,” the official said. “We have no choice but to assume the risk because (Trump) is completely unreadable.”

Trump announced the Gaza plan in a news conference at the White House with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Before Trump’s announcement, it appeared that progress could be made on moving past the war that killed tens of thousands of people.

At a Lower House Budget Committee meeting on Feb. 3, the issue of Palestinian suffering was raised, and Ishiba said the government “is now making earnest efforts to see if we can accept sick and injured people in Japan.”

His statement was made in response to a question from Mitsunari Okamoto, chair of the Policy Research Council of junior coalition partner Komeito.

Okamoto also mentioned that in 2017, the Japanese government welcomed Syrian refugees as international students.

“I would like to see a similar program realized (for the people in Gaza) over the medium to long term,” Okamoto said. “I would like them to receive an education in Japan, become fond of it, and eventually become leaders and help develop the region.”

Ishiba responded positively, saying: “It is also important which universities will accept them. We will make efforts to realize (the program), referring carefully to the Syrian example.”

Many people on social media expressed concern that Japan could be seen as complicit in forcing the relocation of Palestinians. Others feared a sudden flood of Palestinian immigrants into Japan.

In response to these reactions, Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said at a news conference on Feb. 4 that the plan is to treat only a small number of wounded and sick people.

“The purpose is not for them to settle in Japan,” he said.

Iwaya added that the specific number of people who would be let in and the timing are still being worked out.

“We are coordinating with the countries concerned regarding medical assistance for the wounded and sick in Gaza,” Iwaya said. “The major premise is that after treatment, they will return to (Gaza).”

According to government officials, Japan intends to carefully design a system in which Gaza residents are not accepted as immigrants but are allowed to stay for treatment.

“We are still at the beginning of the arrangement process,” said a senior official of health ministry.

The government will continue to adjust its plan depending on the scale and the circumstances of the recipients, the ministry official said.

On Feb. 1, after the cease-fire took effect in Gaza, the Rafah checkpoint on the border with Egypt was opened for some of the wounded and sick.

However, it remains extremely difficult for residents to leave the area.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 12,000 to 14,000 people need to leave Gaza for treatment.

Gaza’s population is about 2 million people.

(This article was compiled from reports written by Shino Matsuyama, Mika Kuniyoshi, and correspondents Jun Takaku and Kayoko Geji.)