‘The place has been hell’: Trump says Egypt, Jordan will absorb Palestinians

Sitting alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu within the Oval Workplace on Tuesday, Trump mentioned, “They are saying they’re not going to just accept — I say they may.”

It was his first assembly with a overseas chief on the White Home since returning to workplace. He mentioned “actually wealthy” nations would offer the land, and several other areas may very well be developed to completely home Palestinians.

“I believe all of them might be resettled in locations the place they’ll have a ravishing life,” Trump mentioned, including that refugees would not should worry for his or her lives.

The US president mentioned he hoped the alternate website could be “very nice,” guaranteeing that Palestinians wouldn’t fear about returning after Gaza’s reconstruction.

“Why would they need to return? The place has been hell,” mentioned Trump

Trump’s assembly with Netanyahu comes at a crucial time, as negotiators work on the subsequent section of a deal that might result in an finish to the struggle in Gaza.

Trump has usually mentioned he desires to see the Gaza Strip cleared after Israel’s intense army marketing campaign. A lot of the realm is destroyed following Israel’s 15-month struggle in response to the Hamas assaults on October 7, 2023, which is now in a six-week ceasefire.

Egypt, Jordan, the Arab League, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, and the Palestinian Authority have all rejected Trump’s proposal. When requested about Jordan’s refusal, Trump pointed to Venezuela, which not too long ago agreed to take again deportees from the US after refusing for a 12 months.

“Look, the Gaza factor has not labored,” Trump advised reporters within the Oval Workplace earlier within the day. “I believe they need to get a very good, recent, stunning piece of land, and we get some folks to place up the cash to construct it and make it good and make it liveable, and pleasant, someplace.”

“I don’t know the way they’ll need to keep,” Trump mentioned. “It’s a demolition website. It’s a pure demolition website.”

Israel and Hamas stay deeply divided on key points. Netanyahu has vowed to attain full victory over Hamas, which is designated a terrorist group by the US, and to safe the return of all hostages taken throughout the group’s assault on Israel that sparked the struggle.

Some right-wing members of Netanyahu’s coalition have criticised the deal and pressured him to renew the battle.

Hamas has mentioned it won’t launch Israeli hostages within the second stage of the ceasefire until Netanyahu agrees to finish the struggle and withdraw Israeli forces from the Gaza territory below its management.

Trump has proposed unconventional options to finish the battle. Whereas being vocal in his assist for Israel, the US president has additionally promised to convey the battle to an finish and took credit score for the deal, which was reached within the remaining days of his successor Joe Biden’s presidency.

“They’ll by no means give me a Nobel peace prize,” Trump mentioned. “I deserve it however they may by no means give it.”

With Bloomberg inputs