US President Donald Trump has proposed evacuating the Palestinian population of Gaza to neighboring Jordan and Egypt to “clean out“ the area. Trump discussed his proposal with Jordan’s King Abdullah II yesterday and says he plans to hold talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi soon.
Donald Trump says that after 15 months of conflict between Israel and Hamas, the Gaza Strip has been turned into a “demolition site” and that Palestinians could be better off in new homes in neighboring countries.
Trump says his proposal could be either a temporary or permanent solution, AP reports.
– I’d like Egypt to take people, and I’d like Jordan to take people. You’re talking about probably a million and a half people, we just clean out that whole thing, Donald Trump said during a press conference aboard Air Force One.
The proposal has been strongly criticized by both Palestinian authorities and the proposed host countries. Palestinians see it as a threat to their right to return to their homes and fear that such a move would be permanent.
Jordan and Egypt have previously rejected similar proposals, citing the risk of destabilization and security concerns.
Donald Trump told journalists aboard Air Force 1 he wants to “clean out” the Gaza Strip by relocating Palestinian refugees to Egypt, Jordan, and other countries. “We just clean that whole thing out and say ‘you know, it’s over.'” pic.twitter.com/r9vl2yBnCq
— Brut India (@BrutIndia) January 27, 2025
Ethnic cleansing
The international community outside the Western bloc has repeatedly called for solutions that respect the rights of Palestinians, with accusations repeatedly made against Israel of deliberately carrying out a campaign of ethnic cleansing in Gaza. The International Criminal Court in The Hague has also called for the country’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be charged with crimes against humanity.
Hamas and the Palestinian Authority have condemned Trump’s statements, saying the proposal is a violation of Palestinian rights. Rather, they believe the focus should be on ending the occupation and establishing an independent Palestinian state, according to Al-Jazeera.
Donald Trump has also decided to resume deliveries of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel. Deliveries that were previously stopped by former President Joe Biden. The decision has sparked further criticism and concerns about an escalation of violence in the region.
How the international community will react to Trump’s proposal, and what consequences it may have for the situation in Gaza and the surrounding countries, remains to be seen.
In the meantime, the humanitarian crisis in the region continues, with millions of people in need of assistance and protection.