WASHINGTON ― President Donald Trump said Saturday he wants Egypt and Jordan to accept additional Palestinian refugees from the Gaza Strip while floating a plan to “just clean out” the war-torn area to bring peace to the Middle East.
He suggested the relocations of Palestinians from their homes in Gaza could be either temporary or long-term.
Speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump mentioned a call he had earlier that day with King Abdullah II of Jordan.
“I’d like him to take people. I’d like Egypt to take people,” Trump said, adding that he plans to speak to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Sunday. “You’re talking about a million and a half people, and we just clean out that whole thing. You know, over the century, it’s had many, many conflicts. And I don’t know, something has to happen.”
More:The Israel-Hamas ceasefire appears to be holding steady. Does Trump deserve credit?
Israel is 15 months into its war in Gaza, which was launched after Hamas militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 Israelis. Israel and Hamas are currently in a temporary cease-fire, orchestrated with help from the Trump and former Biden administrations, which is resulting in the release of Israeli hostages from Gaza.
More than 47,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the start of the war, according to Gaza health authorities, while more than 400 Israeli soldiers have died in combat in Gaza.
“It’s literally a demolition site now,” Trump said of Gaza. “Almost everything is demolished and people are dying there so 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. It could be either, it could be temporary, it could be long term.”
Contributing: Reuters.
Reach Joey Garrison on X @joeygarriosn.
