President Donald Trump’s recent suggestion that Egypt and Jordan accept displaced Palestinians from Gaza has been firmly opposed by Jordan and denounced by Palestinian officials, amid fears that such a move could lead to permanent displacement and undermine their right to return.
During remarks on Saturday, Trump proposed relocating Gaza’s population of 2.3 million—many of whom are homeless due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict—either temporarily or permanently to other countries. He stated, “We just clean out that whole thing,” referring to Gaza’s current state of devastation after 15 months of war with Hamas. “I’d rather get involved with some of the Arab nations, and build housing in a different location, where they can maybe live in peace for a change,” he added.
Hamas and the Palestinian Authority strongly rejected the idea, as did Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, who said his country’s stance against the transfer of Palestinians is “firm and unwavering.” Egypt has yet to comment on the proposal.
Concerns Over Displacement and Ethnic Cleansing
Critics have raised alarms that implementing such a plan could escalate accusations of ethnic cleansing. Omar Shakir, director for Israel and Palestine at Human Rights Watch, warned the proposal would “exponentially increase” Palestinian suffering and deepen the crisis. The United Nations has previously defined ethnic cleansing as forcibly removing one group from specific areas through violent or coercive measures.
Palestinians view this as a potential repeat of the Nakba—Arabic for “catastrophe”—when over 700,000 Palestinians were displaced during the 1948 war that led to Israel’s creation. Many believe relocating Gaza’s population could permanently sever their connection to the land.
Regional Opposition and Potential Fallout
Egypt and Jordan, which maintain peace treaties with Israel and support the establishment of a Palestinian state, have rejected similar proposals before, citing security and political implications. Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi previously stated that resettling Palestinians in Sinai would compromise the region’s stability and risk importing militant groups, saying, “The peace which we have achieved would vanish from our hands.”
Both countries fear mass displacement would jeopardize the viability of a Palestinian state and create tensions similar to those seen in Lebanon in the 1970s, when militant activity by displaced Palestinians fueled a civil war.
Jordan, which already hosts over 2 million Palestinian refugees, views any attempt to force more refugees into its territory as a red line. Meanwhile, Israeli ultranationalists have long floated the idea of making Jordan a Palestinian state, a notion Jordan’s monarchy vehemently opposes.
U.S. Leverage
Trump’s ability to pressure Egypt and Jordan to accept refugees hinges on his willingness to use economic measures, such as tariffs or sanctions. Both countries receive substantial U.S. aid, but they face internal challenges—Egypt is grappling with an economic crisis, and Jordan has already absorbed refugees from Syria and Iraq.
Pushing forward with the proposal could strain U.S. relationships with regional allies, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar, potentially hindering broader diplomatic efforts in the Middle East, such as normalizing Saudi-Israeli relations—a key goal for Trump.
The fate of Gaza’s displaced population remains a contentious issue at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, raising complex questions about regional stability and international accountability.
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