Keir Starmer has distanced himself from Donald Trump’s vow to “clean out” Gaza and move its two million inhabitants to other countries.

The president stunned the world by outlining his plan to turn the war-torn territory into the “Riviera of the Middle East”.

Trump said: “You look over the decades, it’s all death in Gaza. This has been happening for years. It’s all death.

“If we can get a beautiful area to resettle people, permanently, in nice homes where they can be happy and not be shot and not be killed and not be knifed to death like what’s happening in Gaza.”

The president added: “Owning that piece of land, developing it, creating thousands of jobs. It really will be magnificent. Everyone loves the idea.”

Asked by a reporter who he saw living there instead of the Palestinians, Trump said: “People living there. The world’s people.”

But at prime minister’s questions, Starmer said the people of Gaza should be supported to rebuild their homes rather than being forcibly repatriated.

Asked by Lib Dem leader Ed Davey if he would convey British concerns about Trump’s comments to the White House, Starmer said: “I have two images fixed on my mind. The first is the image of [British Israeli hostage] Emily Damari with her mother, which I found extremely moving.

“The second was the image of thousands of Palestinians literally walking through the rubble to try to find their homes and their communities in Gaza.

“They must be allowed home, they must be allowed to rebuild and we should be with them in that rebuild on the way to a two-state solution.”

His comments echo those of environment secretary Steve Reed, who this morning also dismissed Trump’s Gaza plan.

He told Sky News: “Our view is that Palestinian civilians have been through a living nightmare for the last 14 months.

“They need to be able to return to their homes and then start to rebuild them. They will need an awful lot of support from the international community to do that.”