Several Arab nations as well as the Arab League pushed back on a suggestion by U.S. President Donald Trump that Palestinians in Gaza should be relocated en masse to Egypt and Jordan. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and the Palestinian Authority were among those joining with Jordan and Egypt in announcing their position on Saturday.
A lengthy statement, which said Trump’s idea threatens regional stability and risks expanding the Israel-Hamas conflict, was issued following a meeting of Arab diplomats in Cairo. A week ago, Trump suggested he’d like to see the Gaza Strip cleared out as part of a postwar operation. Much of the enclave is in ruins after Israel’s 15-month war in response to the Hamas attacks of Oct. 7, 2023, which is now in a six-week ceasefire. “I’m looking at the whole Gaza Strip right now and it’s a mess,” Trump said. The U.S. president said he would urge Jordan and Egypt to take in more Gazans. “You’re talking about probably a million-and-a-half people. And we just clean up that whole thing.” Jordan and Egypt quickly derided the suggestion. Trump on Saturday called Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, according to a readout from the Egyptian leader’s office that made no specific reference to the refugee situation. The pair “discussed the possibility of moving Palestinians from Gaza to Egypt while reconstruction takes place,” according to an X post by Axios reporter Barak Ravid, citing a person with knowledge who wasn’t identified. Palestinians have long feared that if they depart temporarily, they’ll not be allowed to return by Israel.
Saturday’s joint statement out of Cairo rejected any attempt to divide the Gaza Strip, and instead supported “working to enable the Palestinian Authority to assume its duties” there along with in the West Bank, where it has partial control, and East Jerusalem, where it currently has no control. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government have taken a repeated stand against any Palestinian Authority involvement in Gaza. They argue that it would mean Israel would be unable to deradicalize the coastal enclave, which Israel views as a prerequisite to prevent future attacks. Some members of Netanyahu’s ruling coalition have embraced the idea of moving Gazans to other countries in what they say should be a “voluntary immigration.” They also support building Jewish settlements in the enclave, which includes about 40 kilometers (25 miles) of land adjacent to Mediterranean Sea. The Israeli government hasn’t officially addressed Trump’s recent comments. Netanyahu is expected to meet with Trump at the White House on Tuesday.
