[President Donald Trump Indicated He Discussed Relocating Palestinians with Jordan’s King
President Donald Trump indicated on Saturday that he had spoken with Jordan’s King Abdullah II about potentially building housing and moving more than 1 million Palestinians from Gaza to neighboring countries. The proposal, which would appear to break with decades of US foreign policy, has sparked widespread concern and criticism from key powers in the region.
According to Trump, he asked King Abdullah to take in more Palestinians during a Saturday phone call, and he also expressed interest in speaking with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi about building homes for Palestinians in Egypt. Trump stated that he would rather involve Arab nations in building housing in a different location where Palestinians could live in peace.
Jordan’s state news agency Petra reported the call with Trump, but did not mention relocating Palestinians. The proposal has been met with skepticism and outright rejection from various parties in the region.
Israeli officials have been quoted as saying that the move is part of a broader plan coordinated with Israel, while Hamas officials have stated that Palestinians will not accept any proposals or solutions from Trump. Independent Palestinian politician Dr. Mustafa Barghouti also rejected Trump’s comments, calling them unacceptable.
Egypt’s El-Sisi previously criticized Israel’s move to evacuate residents from northern Gaza, characterizing it as part of a larger plan to rid the area of Palestinians. Jordan’s King Abdullah has also called the idea of more Palestinian refugees moving to Jordan or Egypt a “red line.”
Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who has long advocated for removing Palestinians from Gaza, endorsed Trump’s comments, calling the idea of helping Gazans find new homes a “great idea.” However, key powers in the region, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan, have yet to respond to Trump’s proposal.
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