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| US President Donald Trump | Photo: AP |
Jordan and Egypt have strongly rejected a proposal by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who suggested that war-torn Gaza residents should be relocated to these countries. Palestinian armed group Hamas has also dismissed the proposal.
When asked whether this idea was a temporary or permanent solution to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza caused by relentless Israeli attacks, Trump responded, "Maybe."
Jordan is already home to millions of Palestinian refugees, while thousands of Palestinians live in camps in Egypt. Both countries, along with other Arab nations, have categorically rejected Trump’s proposal to relocate Gaza’s Palestinians. Gazans themselves wish to remain in their homeland as part of a future Palestinian state.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a long-time advocate for Jewish settlements in Gaza, supported Trump’s suggestion, calling it "a great idea" and indicating plans to implement it. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has consistently opposed such initiatives from Smotrich.
Hamas officials have expressed concerns over the long-term displacement of Palestinians. Bassem Naim, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, told Reuters, "Palestinians will never accept such proposals, even if presented under the guise of reconstruction or humanitarian aid, as suggested by Trump."
Another Hamas official, Sami Abu Zuhri, urged Trump not to repeat the "failed ideas" of his predecessor, Joe Biden. He stated that Gazans have endured immense suffering and refuse to abandon their homeland under any circumstances.
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi reaffirmed his country’s "firm and unwavering" stance against displacing Palestinians from Gaza. Similarly, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry rejected any attempt to remove Palestinians from their land, whether temporarily or permanently.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, backed by the West, also criticized Trump’s remarks. In a statement published by Palestinian news agency WAFA, Abbas declared, "Our people will remain steadfast and will not leave their homeland."
Ghassan al-Khatib, a Palestinian analyst, noted that Palestinians in both the West Bank and Gaza, along with Jordanians and Egyptians, have rejected Trump’s proposal. "There is no realistic ground for such an idea," he said.
Trump mentioned a recent conversation with Jordan’s King Abdullah II, where he suggested that Jordan could take in more Palestinians. He added that he planned to discuss the matter with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as well.
Before the recent Israeli offensive against Hamas, Gaza was home to approximately 2.3 million people. Now, it lies in ruins, with its people facing unimaginable suffering.