Arab nations reject Trump’s idea to relocate Gaza population

A group of Arab nations has spoken out against the suggestion by US President Donald Trump that Palestinians from Gaza should be relocated to neighboring Egypt and Jordan.

Trump claimed last week that Gaza has been turned into “literally a demolition site” by the fighting between Israel and Palestinian armed group Hamas, and that the best solution is to “just clean out that whole thing.” He vowed to “get involved with some of the Arab nations and build housing [for Gaza’s population of 2.3 million] in a different location where I think they could maybe live in peace for a change.” According to the US president, the relocation “could be temporary” or “long term.”

Following a meeting of top diplomats in Cairo on Saturday, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, the Palestinian Authority, and the Arab League issued a joint statement, saying they “firmly rejected... the displacement of Palestinians through direct expulsion or coerced migration.”

These actions would “threaten the region’s stability, risk expanding the conflict, and undermine prospects for peace and coexistence among its peoples,” the statement read.

The Arab nations said they are looking forward to working with Trump to “achieve a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East, based on the two-state solution” between Israel and the Palestinians.

They also called on the international community to assist with a comprehensive reconstruction plan for Gaza to make sure that the Palestinians remain there.

Last week, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi stressed that the relocation of Palestinians “cannot ever be tolerated or allowed.” Jordan’s foreign minister, Ayman Safadi, also expressed his country’s “firm and unwavering” opposition to the move.

Shortly after the escalation between Israel and Hamas in October 2023, the previous administration of US President Joe Biden suggested that Egypt should take in the Palestinians from Gaza, but the Arab nations rejected the idea.

Around 47,500 Palestinians have been killed and over 111,500 wounded during the 15 months of Israeli attacks on Gaza, according to the latest data from the enclave’s Health Ministry. UN data suggests that 90% of Gaza’s population has been displaced by the fighting.

Israel began its military operation in Gaza in response to a cross-border raid by Hamas, in which around 1,200 people died and 250 others were taken prisoner. A US-brokered ceasefire is currently underway between Israel and Hamas, with prisoner exchanges ongoing. The Israeli authorities say that 79 hostages still remain in Gaza, 35 of whom are presumed dead.