President Donald Trump’s suggestion to relocate Palestinians from Gaza to Egypt and Jordan has met strong resistance from both nations. Trump’s remarks, made on Saturday, included his proposal to “clean out that whole thing” of “about a million and a half people.”
The Associated Press reports,
“Something has to happen,” Trump said. “But it’s literally a demolition site right now. Almost everything’s demolished, and people are dying there.” He added: “So, I’d rather get involved with some of the Arab nations, and build housing in a different location, where they can maybe live in peace for a change.”
Trump has reportedly discussed this plan with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Jordanian King Abdullah II. However, both leaders have rejected the proposal. They emphasized the need for a Palestinian state and expressing concerns about regional stability.
Both Jordan and Egypt are heavily reliant on U.S. financial support. It remains to be seen whether Trump will use this leverage to sway their positions.
Jordan
Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi reiterated on Sunday that Jordan’s position against the displacement of Palestinians is “irreversible and unchanged.”
According to the local news report, Safadi said, “Jordan’s position on this matter has been always clear and has not and will not ever change…. Jordan is for Jordanians, and Palestine is for Palestinians.”
He stressed that the resolution to the Palestinian issue must come from within Palestine, advocating for a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as the capital of a sovereign Palestinian state.
The 1967 borders, also referred to as the pre-June 4, 1967 borders, or “the Green Line,” represent Israel’s boundaries before the 1967 Six-Day War. During this war, Israel captured the West Bank, East Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip, the Golan Heights, and the Sinai Peninsula.
Safadi highlighted Jordan’s ongoing delivery of aid to Gaza, directed by King Abdullah II, to support humanitarian needs and reconstruction. “We are committed to ensuring continuous aid to Gaza while preparing for rebuilding efforts,” he said.
Jordan is already home to over two million Palestinian refugees.
Egypt and Arab League
According to Alarabia News, the Egyptian foreign ministry emphasized the country’s “continued support for the steadfastness of the Palestinian people on their land.”
Its statement says,
[Egypt] rejected any infringement on those inalienable rights, whether by settlement or annexation of land, or by the depopulation of that land of its people through displacement, encouraged transfer or the uprooting of Palestinians from their land, whether temporarily or long-term.
Cairo reiterated its commitment to the implementation of a two-state solution. They said that the forced removal of Palestinians from their territories would make this solution impossible.
The report reminded that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi believes that such moves would undermine the cause for Palestinian statehood and compromise regional stability. He labeled any displacement plan a “red line” that could threaten Egypt’s national security.
The Arab League echoed Egypt’s position, calling the proposed displacement ethnic cleansing.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not publicly commented on Trump’s proposal. However, some influential officials, such as finance minister Bezalel Smotrich, strongly supported it.
Israel’s Position
Israeli political figures have increasingly embraced the idea of “cleansing” Gaza of its population.
In the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, Israel’s Intelligence Ministry produced a “concept paper” suggesting the relocation of Gaza’s population to Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula.
Since then, some Israeli political figures and media outlets have openly discussed the potential for this idea.
For example, former Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon warned that Israel is indeed carrying out a process of ethnic cleansing in Gaza. In a November 2023 editorial, Israeli outlet Haaretz published an opinion piece titled “If It Looks Like Ethnic Cleansing, It Probably Is.”
Additionally, reports suggest that Israel’s plans for Gaza include building Jewish settlements once the population is displaced. In 2023, Israeli forces controversially brought extremist settlement leader Daniella Weiss into northern Gaza to scout land for future use.
In June 2024, Israeli lawmakers Limor Son Har-Melech and Zvi Sukkot established the “Knesset Caucus for the Renewal of Settlement in the Gaza Strip.” Son Har-Melech argued that without new settlements, Israeli cities would remain vulnerable to attacks. Former Likud lawmaker Moshe Feiglin pushed for the complete conquest of Gaza and the West Bank. He advocated for the expulsion of Palestinians.
In early January, eight members of Israel’s Knesset called for the “complete cleansing” of northern Gaza. They advocated for the use of siege warfare and attacks on civilians to drive the population out. That included cutting off all supplies of food, water, and energy.
While some Israeli officials and lawmakers, including Smotrich, contend that displacement could be “voluntary,” it is evident that when people are forced to relocate due to a lack of basic resources, no genuine choice is truly offered. The uninhabitable conditions effectively strip away any real alternative.
Rebuilding Opportunity
Since January 19, a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has been in place to release hostages and provide relief to civilians in the Palestinian enclave. Trump, however, expressed doubts about its durability. He also mentioned the dire condition of Gaza.
Trump told reporters in the Oval Office last week, “I looked at a picture of Gaza. Gaza is like a massive demolition site. That place is…. It’s really got to be rebuilt in a different way.”
He also described Gaza as “interesting,” adding, “It’s a phenomenal location on the sea, best weather, you know, everything’s good. It’s like some beautiful things could be done with it…. Some fantastic things could be done with Gaza.”
Trump’s remarks drew parallels to earlier comments made by his son-in-law and former senior advisor, Jared Kushner. Speaking in May 2023, Kushner described Gaza as “valuable waterfront property.” He said that it could potentially be transformed into a thriving economic hub under the right circumstances. “I think from Israel’s perspective, I would do my best to move the people out and then clean it up,” said the former advisor.
