Egypt rejects Trump idea to relocate Gazans

Egypt on Sunday firmly rejected the idea floated by US President Donald Trump regarding the evacuation of Gaza’s population to Egypt and Jordan, AFP reported.

In a statement quoted by the news agency, Egypt’s foreign ministry reiterated its “continued support for the steadfastness of the Palestinian people on their land.”

The ministry emphasized that it “rejected any infringement on those inalienable rights, whether by settlement or annexation of land, or by the depopulation of that land of its people through displacement, encouraged transfer or the uprooting of Palestinians from their land, whether temporarily or long-term.”

The statement followed Trump’s comments in a conversation with reporters on Saturday, in which he expressed his desire for countries like Jordan and Egypt to accept more Palestinian Arabs who have fled the fighting in Gaza, suggesting a potential mass relocation to essentially “clean out” the conflict-ridden area and start anew.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump revealed he had discussed this idea with King Abdullah II of Jordan and said he would also bring it up with Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi.

“I’d like him to take people. I’d like Egypt to take people,” said Trump, as quoted by AP. “You’re talking about, probably a million and a half people, and we just clean out that whole thing and say, ‘You know it’s, over.’”

Reflecting on the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, Trump praised Jordan for their intake of Gazans so far, saying he told King Abdullah, “I’d love for you to take on more, cause I’m looking at the whole Gaza Strip right now, and it’s a mess. It’s a real mess.”

The President added he considered the potential relocation of Palestinian Arabs as something that “could be temporary or long term,” noting the historical context of conflicts in the region over centuries.

“Something has to happen,” Trump stated. “But it’s literally a demolition site right now. Almost everything’s demolished, and people are dying there.”

The Hamas terrorist organization swiftly rejected Trump’s proposal. Sami Abu Zuhri, a senior Hamas official, said that Gaza residents faced the risk of death as long as they do not leave their homeland, which they would never abandon for any reason.

The office of Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas also expressed its strong opposition to any plan aiming to deport Palestinian Arabs from the Gaza Strip.

In a statement, Abbas’ office said, “This constitutes crossing the red lines we have repeatedly warned about,” and stressed that “the Palestinian people will not abandon their land and holy places” and “we will not allow the disasters (Nakba) that befell our people in 1948 and 1967 to recur; our people will not leave (their land).”