Gaza war: Trump wants Egypt and Jordan to take in Palestinians

U.S. President Donald Trump stated that he wants Egypt and Jordan to take in Palestinians from Gaza, which he called "a wreck." During a call over the weekend, Trump said he told Jordan's King Abdullah, "I'd like you to take more people, because I see the whole place is a mess, it’s just terrible, what’s going on in Gaza." He said he planned to make a similar request to the Egyptian president on Sunday.

Trump indicated that this move "could be temporary" or "it could be long term." Hamas has vowed to oppose any such move, and the remarks are likely to anger Palestinians in Gaza who view the territory as their ancestral homeland. Bassem Naim, a member of Hamas' political bureau, told the BBC: "Our people in Gaza have endured 15 months of death and destruction... but they have not left their land. Therefore, they will not accept any proposal or solution, even if it comes under the guise of reconstruction and appears to be well-intentioned, like the proposal from US President Trump." He added, "Our people, as they have thwarted all plans of displacement and alternative homelands for decades, will also thwart such projects."

The 2 million residents of Gaza are mostly displaced from the 15-month war with Israel, which has devastated much of Gaza's infrastructure. The UN has previously estimated that 60% of buildings across Gaza are damaged or destroyed, and reconstruction could take decades. Trump made the comments to reporters aboard Air Force One. He said, "You're talking about maybe 1.5 million people, and we're just trying to clean it up." He added, "Almost everything is destroyed, and people are dying there. So I'd rather work with some of the Arab nations to build housing in different places, maybe they can live peacefully there." Trump did not provide further details on the proposal, and it was not mentioned in the official White House readout of the call.

When asked about Trump's remarks, Abu Yehya Rasheed, displaced in the southern city of Khan Younis, said: "We are the ones who decide our fate and what we want. This land is ours, the property of our ancestors throughout history. We will not leave it except as corpses." For decades, U.S. foreign policy has been geared toward establishing a Palestinian state with Gaza as a key component. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposes this. The U.S. has previously said it opposes any forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza or the occupied West Bank, with then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken saying last year, "They cannot, they must not be forced to leave Gaza."

According to the UN, Jordan is home to over 2 million Palestinian refugees, most of whom have been granted citizenship. They are the descendants of around 750,000 Palestinians who fled or were forced from their homes during the conflict surrounding the creation of Israel. Thousands of Palestinians have fled to Egypt since the start of the war with Israel, but they are not recognized as refugees there. In October 2023, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi said he rejected any forced displacement of Palestinians into the Sinai Peninsula, stating that the only solution was the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. Some on the far right in Israel want to return to Gaza and build settlements there. Israel unilaterally withdrew in 2005, with 21 settlements dismantled and about 9,000 settlers evacuated by the army.

Far-right former National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said he appreciated Trump's "initiative to transfer the residents of Gaza to Jordan and Egypt." He wrote on X, "One of our demands of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is to promote voluntary emigration." Trump made his comments as Israel accused Hamas of violating the terms of a ceasefire, resulting in the delay of displaced people returning to their homes in northern Gaza. One man anxiously waiting told the BBC: "There is nothing there - no life, everything is destroyed. But still to return to your land, to your home, it's a great joy."

In another remark aboard Air Force One, Trump said he had ended former President Joe Biden’s restrictions on the supply of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel. "They've paid for it, and they've been waiting for it for a long time," he told reporters on Air Force One. The U.S. is by far the largest supplier of weapons to Israel, helping it build one of the most technologically advanced militaries in the world. But the war in Gaza has led to renewed calls for the U.S. to reduce or halt weapons shipments to Israel, given the extent of the destruction caused by U.S. weapons in the territory.