Former US President Donald Trump has suggested a highly controversial plan to forcibly expel the population of Gaza to neighboring Egypt and Jordan, framing it as a step towards “Middle East peace.”
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Saturday, Trump described Gaza as a “demolition site” in the aftermath of the recent Israeli assault, suggesting that “probably a million and a half people” could be relocated.
BREAKING: Trump says he is pressing Jordan, Egypt to take in Palestinians from Gaza, floats plan to ‘just clean out’ territory. https://t.co/ayG8KK2LtB
— The Associated Press (@AP) January 26, 2025
“I’d like Egypt to take people. And I’d like Jordan to take people,” Trump said, adding that he had discussed the idea with Jordan’s King Abdullah II and planned to speak with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
Labeling Gaza a site of “many, many conflicts over the centuries,” Trump said, “We just clean out that whole thing and say, ‘You know it’s, over.'” He suggested the relocations could be temporary or potentially permanent.
Trump proposed collaborating with Arab nations to “build housing at a different location where they can maybe live in peace for a change.”
However, both Jordan and Egypt have long rejected proposals to absorb large numbers of Palestinians, a position that was accepted by the previous administration under President Joe Biden.
Source: Agencies (edited by Al-Manar English Website)
