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Trump Reaffirms Plan to ‘Relocate’ Displaced Palestinians, Claims They Would ‘Love’ to Leave

Egypt, Jordan, and other Arab nations have rejected Trump's proposal to relocate Gaza’s 2.3 million Palestinians as part of post-war reconstruction efforts.

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Trump Reaffirms Plan to ‘Relocate’ Displaced Palestinians, Claims They Would ‘Love’ to Leave

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday reaffirmed his call for Jordan and Egypt to relocate displaced Palestinians, asserting that people in Gaza would “love” to leave if given the option.

“They would love to leave Gaza. I would think that they would be thrilled. I don’t know how they could want to stay. It’s a demolition site,” Trump said.

He further stated, “The Gaza thing has never worked. If we could find the right piece of land, pieces of land, and build them some really nice places…I think that would be a lot better than going back to Gaza.” His remarks came ahead of a key meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House.

Egypt, Jordan, and other Arab nations have rejected Trump’s proposal to relocate Gaza’s 2.3 million Palestinians as part of post-war reconstruction efforts.

Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, urged Arab nations to accept the plan, arguing that it was “preposterous” to believe Gaza could be made habitable for Palestinians within five years. “When the president talks about ‘cleaning it out,’ he talks about making it habitable,” Witkoff said in defense of Trump’s stance.

Hard-line right-wing members of Netanyahu’s government have backed the idea of relocating displaced Palestinians, despite opposition from Arab nations. Saudi Arabia, the most influential Arab power, has stated it would only consider the proposal if the war ends and leads to a credible plan for establishing a Palestinian state in Gaza and the West Bank.

‘Chaos’

Sami Abu Zuhri, a senior Hamas official, told AFP that Trump’s remarks were a “recipe for creating chaos” in the Middle East.

“We consider it a recipe for creating chaos and tension in the region. Our people in the Gaza Strip will not allow these plans to pass. What is required is an end to the occupation and aggression against our people, not their expulsion from their land,” Zuhri said.

Palestinians returning to their devastated homes in Gaza also condemned Trump’s remarks.

“Trump thinks Gaza is a pile of garbage — absolutely not,” said Hatem Azzam, a resident of Rafah city. Calling the US president “delusional,” he said that Trump “wants to force Egypt and Jordan to take in migrants, as if they were his personal farm.”

Ihab Ahmed, another Rafah resident, lamented that Trump and Netanyahu “still don’t understand the Palestinian people” and their attachment to the land.

“We will remain on this land no matter what. Even if we have to live in tents and on the streets, we will stay rooted in this land,” the 30-year-old said.