U.S. President Donald Trump has suggested that Jordan and Egypt should absorb Palestinians from Gaza, which is left in a devastated state following a protracted humanitarian crisis. The plan has been rejected by major players such as Hamas, the Jordanian government, and Palestinian leadership. Gaza runs into catastrophic conditions with its near entirety displaced by Israel’s military operations and exceeding 47,000 deaths since those operations began, Gaza health officials say.

During an interview with reporters, Trump called Gaza a “destruction site,” suggesting that the displaced Palestinians could be relocated to new areas in other Arab countries. “You’re talking about 1.5 million people; we could just clean out that whole thing,” Trump said, adding that he would work with Jordan and Egypt. But Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi categorically rejected the idea, saying that Jordan is against any forced transfer of Palestinians. Egypt has not made any official statements but has been vocal in its opposition to such measures over the years.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich welcomed Trump’s suggestion, referring to it as “an excellent idea” and promising to create a plan to implement it. However, the Palestinian groups, including Hamas, were skeptical of and opposed the idea. According to Basem Naim, the senior Hamas official, Palestinians will never accept their forced removal from their homeland even under the guise of reconstruction.

Critics of Trump’s plan say it is part of a larger effort to remove Palestinians permanently from their historical lands. Palestinian political analyst Ghassan al-Khatib called the idea “utopian” and said it would not win the support of Palestinians or other Arab states.

Trump’s comments have also drawn international criticism. U.N. Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese described the idea as “ethnic cleansing,” saying it is illegal and immoral.

The Israel-Gaza conflict, rekindled by Hamas’s October 7 attack, has resulted in an unprecedented humanitarian disaster in Gaza, where millions of residents are displaced and the region’s infrastructure lies in rubble. Trump’s controversial suggestion highlights the complexity and volatility of achieving peace in the region.

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