Trump calls on Egypt, Jordan to take in Palestinians from Gaza

U.S. President Donald Trump called for Egypt and Jordan to take in Palestinians from the war-torn Gaza Strip, stating "we should clean the whole place up." Trump told the media after a phone call with Jordan's King Abdullah that Gazan residents could relocate "temporarily or permanently." He described Gaza as "a demolition site, virtually everything is destroyed, and people are dying there."

Trump further stated, "So I'd rather work with some of the Arab nations to build housing in different places and let them live there, maybe, peacefully." He said he had asked the King of Jordan to take more people and described Gaza as "a mess." He also expressed hope that Egypt would also take more people from Gaza, revealing he would be speaking with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Sunday.

However, Egypt publicly rejected Trump's proposal to forcibly displace Palestinians later on Sunday local time. The Egyptian Foreign Ministry released a statement on X saying that Egypt would show "its determination to continue supporting the Palestinian people in their steadfastness on their land." The ministry also "rejects any violation of these inalienable rights, whether through settlement or annexation of land, or through the displacement of the people of that land, or encouraging the transfer or uprooting of Palestinians from their land, whether temporarily or permanently."

The Palestinian militant group Hamas, which controls Gaza, also seems unlikely to agree to the proposal. Hamas spokesman Bassem Naim said the proposal would exacerbate Palestinians’ long-held fears of being permanently driven from their homes. He said, "(Palestinians) will not accept any proposal or solution, even if (these proposals) come under the guise of reconstruction and good intentions within the proposal of the U.S. President Trump." Trump's remarks have raised concerns in neighboring countries, who fear a large outflow of people could create regional instability. Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said Jordan’s position against any displacement of Palestinians from Gaza was “firm and unwavering.” Palestinians have long been haunted by what they call the “Nakba,” or “catastrophe,” when 700,000 people were dispossessed from their homes when Israel was created in 1948.

In addition, the Palestinian militant group Hamas and the Israeli military have accused each other of violating the terms of a ceasefire agreement between the two sides. The dispute erupted Saturday when the Israeli government announced it would block Palestinians from passing to the north until the release of a captive civilian woman, Aber Yehoud. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Yehoud "was supposed to be released," and that her non-release was a violation of the truce agreement. Hamas then stated that blocking returns to the north also constituted a breach of the truce agreement, adding that it had provided “all necessary guarantees” for Yehoud’s release. A Hamas official said the group had informed mediators she was alive and would be released on February 1.

The ceasefire agreement between the two sides went into effect last week, and since then six Israeli hostages captured by Hamas in the October 7, 2023 attacks have been released. Israel has also released hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in exchange. The impasse has led to Israel reportedly blocking access to the northern part of the disputed area. On Sunday, groups of displaced people could be seen waiting in an open area in the Gaza Valley, a day after four Israeli hostages and 200 Palestinian prisoners were exchanged as part of the Israel-Hamas truce deal. Hundreds of people, including women and children, were seen waiting around with their luggage and other belongings as emergency vehicles passed through the crowd.

On Sunday afternoon, the White House confirmed in a statement that the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon would be extended. "The arrangement between Lebanon and Israel, under U.S. oversight, will remain in effect through February 18, 2025," the White House statement said. "The governments of Lebanon, Israel, and the United States will also begin negotiations on the repatriation of Lebanese prisoners captured after October 7, 2023."

The Lebanese Health Ministry said that 22 people had been killed and 124 injured by Israeli forces as they attempted to return to their homes in southern Lebanon, as Israeli forces remained in place after a Sunday deadline to withdraw. Israel has said it intends to keep its forces in the south past the Sunday deadline set out in the U.S.-brokered ceasefire that halted last year’s war with Hezbollah and on Saturday ordered residents not to return until further notice. The agreement stipulated that Israeli forces should withdraw from the south within a 60-day deadline that ended Sunday morning, with Iranian-backed Hezbollah weapons and fighters removed from the area and Lebanese troops deployed in their place.

However, Israel said the terms have not been fully implemented by the Lebanese state, while Lebanon’s U.S.-backed army on Saturday accused Israel of stalling on the withdrawal. Hezbollah’s al-Manar TV broadcast footage from several locations in the south showing residents moving toward villages in defiance of Israeli orders, some carrying the group’s flags and images of Hezbollah fighters killed in the war. The Lebanese Health Ministry said there was one death in the village of Houla, another in Aitaroun and a third in Blida due to what it described as Israeli attacks on citizens as they attempted to enter their still-occupied towns. The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the reported casualties.

An Israeli military spokesman posted on X to the people of southern Lebanon, accusing Hezbollah of attempting to "escalate the situation," and said Israeli forces would notify them of where they could return "in the near future." Hezbollah, which was heavily weakened by Israel in the war, has shifted the onus of ensuring the Israeli withdrawal onto the Lebanese state, and said Israel’s failure to withdraw on time was a violation of the agreement. Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah said in an interview with the group’s al-Manar TV, “We are on our land, and the enemy is the one who is in violation of the agreement and breaching the agreement, and therefore the people are liberating their land with their own hands and blood.” He added, “We want the state to play its role.” The White House said on Friday that a short, temporary extension of the truce was urgently needed.