The President of United States, Donald Trump has proposed that Egypt and Jordan take in displaced Palestinians from Gaza, an idea likely to face strong resistance from both countries and Palestinians themselves, who fear permanent displacement and the loss of their right to return.
Trump suggested the plan during a statement on Saturday, saying he would urge the leaders of Egypt and Jordan to accept Gaza’s largely homeless population. “We just clean out that whole thing,” he said, adding that the resettlement could be temporary or permanent. He referred to Gaza as a “demolition site” following Israel’s 15-month military campaign against Hamas, which is currently halted under a fragile ceasefire.
While Trump’s comments received no immediate response from Egypt, Jordan, Israel, or Palestinian officials, they are expected to align with the views of Israel’s right-wing government. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right coalition has previously advocated for the “voluntary migration” of Palestinians and reestablishment of Jewish settlements in Gaza.
However, human rights groups have criticized such ideas, accusing Israel of engaging in ethnic cleansing. The United Nations defines this as the removal of a civilian population by violent or coercive means.
Historical Context of Displacement
The proposal revives painful memories of the 1948 Nakba (“catastrophe”), when 700,000 Palestinians were displaced during Israel’s creation. A second wave of displacement occurred during the 1967 war, further complicating the refugee crisis, which remains a major driver of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Currently, Gaza is home to 2.3 million people, the majority of whom are refugees or their descendants. Many Palestinians see Trump’s proposal as a threat to their claims of return, a right that Israel has long resisted, citing concerns about altering its demographic balance.
Both Egypt and Jordan, which have peace treaties with Israel, have consistently rejected hosting Gaza’s displaced population. They support the establishment of a Palestinian state in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem—territories captured by Israel in 1967.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi has warned that relocating Palestinians to the Sinai Peninsula could jeopardize the Camp David Accords, a cornerstone of regional peace. “The peace we achieved would vanish from our hands,” el-Sissi cautioned during the early stages of the war in 2023.
Similarly, Jordan’s King Abdullah II has strongly opposed any plan that could disrupt the country’s demographic balance or shift responsibility for the Palestinian cause to his kingdom. Jordan already hosts over 2 million Palestinian refugees.
Trump’s proposal faces numerous obstacles. Both Egypt and Jordan are already grappling with economic and refugee crises. Egypt hosts approximately 9 million migrants, including refugees from Sudan’s civil war, while Jordan’s population of less than 12 million includes over 700,000 Syrian refugees.
If the U.S. were to pressure these countries using tariffs or aid cuts, it risks alienating key allies in the region, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey, which strongly back the Palestinian cause. This could complicate ongoing efforts to normalize relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, a goal Trump has previously pursued.
Trump’s suggestion has reignited debates over the long-standing refugee crisis and the future of the Palestinian people. While Israel’s government might welcome such a move, resistance from Arab nations and the deep cultural ties Palestinians have to their land make the plan highly contentious. The proposal underscores the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, as well as the challenges of balancing regional stability with humanitarian needs.