Trump calls to "clean out" Gaza and move Palestinians to Egypt and Jordan
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President Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One Saturday that he wants Jordan and Egypt to take Palestinians from Gaza into their territory "temporarily or long term."
Why it matters: Since the start of the war in Gaza, Egypt and Jordan have led the Arab world's opposition to any forced transfer by Israel of Palestinians from Gaza.
Driving the news: Trump on Saturday spoke on the phone with Jordan's King Abdullah, who congratulated him on his inauguration.
- King Abdullah "stressed the pivotal role of the U.S. in pushing all sides to work towards achieving peace, security, and stability for all in the region," the Jordanian royal court said in a statement.
- But Trump said the two leaders discussed an entirely different topic — the millions of Palestinians who live in Jordan, and the possibility that more will move there from Gaza.
What they're saying: "I said to him, 'I'd love you take on more,' because I'm looking at the whole Gaza Strip right now and it's a mess. It's a real mess," Trump said.
- He added that he planned to speak to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on Sunday and ask him to accept Palestinians from Gaza.
- "You're talking about a million and half people, and we just clean out that whole thing," Trump said.
- "It's literally a demolition site. Almost everything is demolished and people are dying there, so I'd rather get involved with some of the Arab nations and build housing at a different location where they can maybe live in peace for a change."
The big picture: The absorption of Palestinian refugees in Jordan after the 1948 war, some of them forcibly displaced by Israel, became one of the most significant events in the history of the kingdom.
- Egypt, meanwhile, sees the transfer of Palestinians from Gaza to its territory as a threat to national security.
- At the beginning of the war, when Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu raised this idea, Sisi made it clear that such a move would jeopardize the peace agreement between Israel and Egypt.
