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US President Donald Trump said he would like to see Jordan and Egypt taking in more Palestinian refugees from Gaza – in a move that could “just clean out” the enclave.
Speaking aboard Air Force One on Saturday, Mr Trump said he had held a call earlier with King Abdullah II of Jordan and would speak with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi on Sunday.
He said he complimented Jordan for having accepted Palestinian refugees and that he told the king: “I'd love for you to take on more because I'm looking at the whole Gaza Strip right now, and it's a mess. It's a real mess.”
Mr Trump's comments come as a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas entered its second week. The truce deal, which came into effect on January 19, ended 15 months of war that turned Gaza into what Mr Trump called a “demolition site”.
He said the movement of Palestinians to other countries could be “temporary or long term”.
“I’d like Egypt to take people,” Mr Trump said. “You’re talking about probably a million and a half people, and we just clean out that whole thing and say, ‘You know, it’s over’.”
Egypt has warned against any “forced displacement” of Palestinians from Gaza into the country, with Mr Sisi saying it would jeopardise a peace treaty Cairo signed with Israel in 1979.
Jordan hosts about 2.3 million Palestinian refugees, according to the UN. For Palestinians, any such plans to move them from Gaza are reminiscent of the Nakba – or Catastrophe – that saw their mass expulsion when Israel was created 75 years ago.
“Almost everything’s demolished, and people are dying there,” Mr Trump said. “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 for a change.”
Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Sunday welcomed Mr Trump's comments. "The idea of helping them find other places to start a better life is a great idea. After years of glorifying terrorism, they will be able to establish new and good lives in other places," Mr Smotrich, a strong proponent of the war in Gaza, said in a statement.
Mr Trump is known to be a supporter of Israel and his administration has promised “unwavering support” for the country. He also confirmed on Saturday that he had ordered the Pentagon to release a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel, reversing a hold by the previous administration.
