President Trump converses with King Abdullah II of Jordan in the Oval Office at the White House.
Alex Brandon/AP
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Alex Brandon/AP

During a meeting at the White House on Tuesday, President Trump revealed his controversial plans to address the situation in the Gaza Strip. He expressed intentions to relocate its residents to Jordan and other Arab nations, while also aiming to rehabilitate the war-torn region.

King Abdullah II of Jordan noted that regional Arab countries are preparing to convene and will propose their own strategies to the U.S. leader.

“The objective is to find a solution that benefits all parties involved. It’s essential to consider the interests of the United States and the people in the region, particularly my fellow Jordanians,” the king articulated.

He mentioned plans to hold discussions in Saudi Arabia to strategize collaboration with the U.S. president, indicating a wait for Egypt to present its proposal without rushing into decisions.

Trump reaffirmed a recent proposal regarding Gaza that received widespread criticism from Palestinians, various Arab countries, and others. However, it has garnered support from Israel. Legal experts and United Nations officials have cautioned that the forced removal of Gaza’s 2 million inhabitants could breach international laws.

King Abdullah II also declared that Jordan would admit 2,000 sick children from Gaza requiring urgent medical care. President Trump welcomed this generous offer but reiterated that the U.S. would oversee the situation in Gaza, asserting that all residents would be relocated.

“The residents of Gaza deserve a better life elsewhere,” Trump commented. “I foresee land being allocated in Jordan and Egypt, among possibly other locations, where they can live safely and happily.”

The U.S. president dismissed concerns from a journalist regarding whether his proposals equated to “ethnic cleansing,” maintaining that relocating 2 million individuals represented a minor figure in the grand scheme.

Earlier in the week, Trump hinted at the possibility of withholding aid to Jordan and Egypt if they did not consent to the relocation plan for Gaza’s inhabitants. When pressed on the issue, he responded, “I don’t need to use threats. The financial support we offer Jordan and Egypt is significant, but I’m confident we can navigate this without resorting to pressure.”

Marwan Muasher, former Jordanian Foreign Minister, expressed that Trump’s strategy might infringe upon a crucial aspect of the peace treaty between Jordan and Israel from 1994, emphasizing, “This is a critical matter for Jordan that cannot be addressed through economic coercion.”

Many Jordanians are descendants of Palestinian refugees who fled or were expelled during the establishment of Israel and subsequent conflicts, and Jordan has historically been apprehensive about assimilating more Palestinian refugees, fearing it could diminish the argument for an independent Palestinian state and the displaced people’s right to return.

Muasher cautioned that Saudi Arabia’s resistance might hinder Trump’s plan, especially since the U.S. president seeks to facilitate normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel. The Saudi government indicated that expelling Palestinians might obstruct any such negotiations.

“These statements carry significant weight,” Muasher noted, adding that the White House is likely to consider the Saudi stance seriously.