Trump wants Jordan and Egypt to accept more Palestinian refugees and floats plan to 'clean out' Gaza

U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he would like to see Jordan, Egypt, and other Arab nations increase the number of Palestinian refugees they take from the Gaza Strip, potentially moving enough people out to "clean up" the war-torn area entirely, thus creating a completely new situation. Trump believes this would help solve the long-term issues in Gaza and bring new development opportunities to the region.

During a 20-minute Q&A session with reporters on Air Force One on Saturday (Sunday in Australian Eastern Time), Trump also indicated that he had ended the previous administration's restrictions on sending 2,000-pound (900 kg) bombs to Israel. This move lifted a point of pressure aimed at reducing civilian casualties during Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza. Trump said, "We released those bombs today, and they've been waiting a long time." When asked why he lifted the ban on these bombs, Trump responded, "Because they bought them."

Trump has consistently made his unwavering support for Israel a cornerstone of his political career. Regarding his broader vision for Gaza, Trump said he spoke with King Abdullah II of Jordan earlier that day and would speak with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on Sunday. Trump said, "I would like Egypt to take some people. You're talking about maybe a million and a half people, and we just clean the whole thing up and say, 'You know, it's over.'" He added that he commended Jordan for successfully taking Palestinian refugees and told the King, "I'd like you to take more because I'm looking at the whole Gaza Strip, and it's a mess, it's a horrible mess."

Such a large-scale population transfer would be in stark defiance of Palestinian identity and their deep connection to Gaza. Nevertheless, Trump stated that this part of the world, including Gaza, has "had many, many conflicts over the centuries." He said the relocation "could be temporary or it could be long term." He added, "Something has to happen. But it's just a mess over there right now. It's almost totally destroyed, and people are dying there. So, I'd rather work with some of the Arab countries to build housing in different places where maybe they can live peacefully in a different place."

Meanwhile, the resumption of large bomb deliveries stands in contrast to the approach of then-President Joe Biden, who paused the deliveries in May as part of an effort to prevent Israel from launching a full-scale attack on the southern Gaza city of Rafah. Israel did take control of the city a month later, but only after the vast majority of the 1 million civilians living or sheltering in Rafah had fled. Biden told CNN in May that he withheld the weapons at the time, "Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers. I made it clear that if they go into Rafah... I’m not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities, to deal with that problem."

Trump's actions come as he celebrates the first phase of a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, which has paused fighting and seen Hamas release some hostages in Gaza in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Negotiations on a more difficult second-phase agreement that would ultimately release all hostages held by Hamas and permanently stop fighting have not truly begun. The Israeli government has threatened to resume the war against Hamas if the remaining hostages are not released, Hamas having launched a massive attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.