Washington (QJ) – U.S. President Donald Trump expressed his desire to “just clear out” Gaza and urged Egypt and Jordan to take in more Palestinians from the coastal territory.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Saturday, Trump said he had earlier spoken with Jordan’s King Abdullah II and would speak with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi later on Sunday.
Trump praised Jordan for hosting Palestinian refugees and told the king, “I’d like you to take more because I’m looking at the entire Gaza Strip right now, and it’s a mess. It’s a real mess.”
The 15-month-long war in Gaza has displaced nearly all of its 2.3 million residents, some multiple times. Trump suggested that Gaza’s residents could be relocated “temporarily or perhaps for a long time.”
On Sunday, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi reaffirmed Amman’s stance, stating, “Jordan’s position is that the two-state solution is the path to peace.” He emphasized, “Jordan’s rejection of displacement is firm and non-negotiable,” offering a subtle yet clear rebuttal to Trump.
The armed group Islamic Jihad (PIJ) condemned Trump’s proposal, calling it an encouragement of “war crimes.”
Describing Trump’s idea as “regrettable,” the group, which has fought alongside Hamas against Israel, said, “His proposal is part of a framework encouraging war crimes and crimes against humanity by forcing our people to leave their land.”
The group also accused Trump of aligning with “the worst Zionist extremist agendas” and called on Egypt and Jordan to reject the plan.
