President Donald Trump has once again said that the US will take control of the Gaza Strip, as he met with Jordan's King Abdullah at the White House on Tuesday.

This was their first meeting since Trump unveiled his proposal to assume control over the enclave and relocate its two million Palestinian residents to other countries in the region, including Jordan.

Earlier in the week, Trump suggested he might withhold aid from Jordan and Egypt unless they agreed to accept displaced Palestinians from Gaza.

Jordan, a key US ally in the Middle East and already home to millions of Palestinians, has rejected the proposal. Following their meeting, King Abdullah reaffirmed Jordan’s firm stance against the forced displacement of Palestinians.

However, speaking to reporters in the Oval Office with King Abdullah seated beside him, Trump indicated he had no intention of backing down from his controversial plan, which sparked global condemnation when he announced it last week.

"We're going to take it. We're going to hold it. We're going to cherish it," Trump said about Gaza.

He claimed that a US takeover of the war-torn territory would generate "a lot of jobs" across the region, describing Gaza as having the potential to become "a diamond." He also suggested that the US no longer needed to pressure other countries to cooperate.

Throughout the discussion, King Abdullah remained silent as Trump reiterated a proposal that would overturn decades of US policy and potentially violate international law, which forbids the forced transfer of populations.

While Jordan has publicly rejected the idea as a violation of international law, officials have privately voiced concerns about the country’s capacity to absorb a large influx of Palestinians.

On the possibility of taking in additional Palestinians, King Abdullah said a solution that is "best for everybody" would be necessary. He said Jordan would take in 2,000 unwell Palestinian children.

Trump, however, appeared unmoved and reiterated his stance that he expects Jordan and Egypt to play a part in housing resettled Palestinians.

"I believe we'll have a parcel of land in Jordan. I believe we'll have a parcel of land in Egypt," Trump said. "We may have someplace else, but I think when we finish our talks, we'll have a place where they're going to live very happily and very safely."

Egypt has roundly rejected Trump's idea to remove Palestinians from Gaza. Its foreign ministry said in a statement on Monday that the country intended to put forward a plan with "a comprehensive vision for the reconstruction of Gaza in a manner that guarantees the Palestinian people's continued presence on their land, in alignment with their legitimate legal rights".

The statement said Egypt had an "aspiration" to work with the Trump administration on its plan, but it stressed that any foreign intervention should "avoid jeopardising the gains of peace.

King Abdullah stressed that the Middle East was largely aligned with this position following his White House meeting. He wrote on X that his conversation with Trump was "constructive", but said that his country remained concerned with Trump's proposal.

"I reiterated Jordan's steadfast position against the displacement of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank," he said. "This is the unified Arab position."

"Rebuilding Gaza without displacing the Palestinians and addressing the dire humanitarian situation should be the priority for all," he added.

Jordan is already home to millions of people descended from Palestinian refugees who were forced from the land that became Israel in 1948, alongside those whose roots lie firmly east of the River Jordan.

The country has also absorbed waves of refugees from Syria, and is heavily reliant on US economic and military assistance.

The UN has warned that any forced displacement of civilians from occupied territory is strictly prohibited under international law and "tantamount to ethnic cleansing".

Trump on Tuesday appeared to dodge a question about that UN warning.

"We're moving them to a beautiful location where they can have new homes, where they can live safely, where they can have doctors and medical and all of those things," he said.

King Abdullah said during the meeting that the matter would be discussed and both sides should "wait until the Egyptians" can present their ideas.

The deal with Egypt is believed to be a proposal for the future governance of Gaza, backed by other Arab states as a way to counteract Trump's plan.

While still being formulated, it is thought the proposal could involve a local administration of technocrats drawn from Palestinians in Gaza, without affiliating to factions including Hamas.

Since first revealing the US proposal during a news conference last week alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump has repeatedly doubled down on his plan for Gaza, saying he is "committed to buying and owning" it.

In an interview with Fox News broadcast earlier this week, Trump said Gaza's two million residents would be resettled and have no right to return.

"They wouldn't, because they have much better housing," he said. "I'm talking about building a permanent place for them."

Source: BBC

BDST: 0934 HRS, FEB 12, 2025
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