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On January 31, United States President Donlad Trump doubled down on the idea that Gazas should be resettled in Egypt and Jordan, despite the refusal of the two countries to host Palestinians from the Strip.
“They will do it. They will do it. They’re gonna do it, okay? We do a lot for them, and they’re gonna do it,” Trump said when asked about the proposal during a photo op in the Oval Office.
Trump said earlier this week that the proposal would be discussed with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he travels to Washington next week.
Nevertheless, the proposal was rejected right away by both Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sissi and Jordan’s King Abdullah on January 29.
“Regarding what is being said about the displacement of Palestinians, it can never be tolerated or allowed because of its impact on Egyptian national security,” Sissi said at the time.
From his side, Abdullah said that Palestinians must remain on their land. The king also stressed that “Jordan’s firm position on the need to keep the Palestinians on their land and to guarantee their legitimate rights, in accordance with the Israeli and Palestinian two-state solution”, the royal palace said in a statement.
Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff told Axios on January 30 that there is “almost nothing left” of the Strip and rebuilding the war-ravaged enclave could take 10 to 15 years.
“People are moving north to get back to their homes and see what happened and turn around and leave… There is no water and no electricity. It is stunning just how much damage occurred there,” Witkoff told the news website after visiting Gaza.
Witkoff also told Axios that he has not discussed with Trump the idea of moving Palestinians from Gaza to other countries.
“There has been this perception that we can get to a solid plan for Gaza in five years, but it’s impossible. This is a 10- to 15-year rebuilding plan,” Witkoff said. “There is nothing left standing. Many unexploded ordnances. It is not safe to walk there. It is very dangerous. I wouldn’t have known this without going there and inspecting.”
The proposal to resettle Gazans in Egypt and Jordan came amid a ceasefire and prisoner swap agreement between Israel and the Hamas Movement. The group continues to rule over the Strip more than 16 months after the outbreak of the war as a result of the October 7 surprise attack.
Since the start of the war, many Israeli politicians have made calls to displace Palestinians from Gaza to Egypt and Jordan. The proposal is mainly meant to completely unroot Hamas from the Strip, and could allow Israelis to resettle there in the future.
While both Egypt and Jordan have stated their objection to the proposal, both countries rely heavily on the economic and political support of the U.S. Pressure from the Trump administration could force both countries to accept the proposal and with most of Gaza destroyed by the Israeli military many Palestinians could opt to leave despite the risk of never returning.
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