President Trump declared on Tuesday that Palestinians had no choice but to leave Gaza because of the devastation wrought by Israel’s war with Hamas.
His comments, which came shortly before he welcomed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel to the White House, seemed to indicate that Mr. Trump wanted to find a new homeland for the Palestinians rather than reconstruct Gaza.
Trump says he wants Jordan and Egypt to take in Palestinians from Gaza.
President Trump declared on Tuesday that Palestinians had no choice but to leave Gaza because of the devastation wrought by Israel’s war with Hamas after the terrorist attack of Oct. 7, 2023, suggesting that they be given a new homeland.
Mr. Trump made the comments to reporters shortly before hosting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel at the White House to talk about the next stage of a cease-fire in the Gaza war.
Speaking in the Oval Office while signing executive orders, Mr. Trump said he wanted Jordan and Egypt to take in the Palestinians.
“They have no alternative right now” but to leave, Mr. Trump said of Gazans.
“I mean, they’re there because they have no alternative. What do they have? It is a big pile of rubble right now.”
He added: “I don’t know how they could want to stay. It’s a demolition site. It’s a pure demolition site.”
Mr. Trump seemed to indicate that he wanted to find a permanent new homeland for the Palestinians rather than reconstruct Gaza.
“If we could find the right piece of land, or numerous pieces of land, and build them some really nice places with plenty of money in the area, that’s for sure,” he said.
“I think that would be a lot better than going back to Gaza.”
While the president framed the matter as a humanitarian imperative, the notion of clearing Palestinians out of Gaza is an explosive one in a region that has endured generations of warfare over questions of homelands and forced migration.
Neither Egypt nor Jordan want to take in large numbers of Palestinians, given the burden and fears of instability, nor is it clear that Gazans would willingly abandon the enclave they have spent years defending, even with the destruction.
Hamas, which has run Gaza for most of the past two decades and is now trying to reestablish its control there, quickly rejected Mr. Trump’s idea as well.
Sami Abu Zuhri, a senior Hamas official, said that the president’s statement about no alternative but leaving was “a recipe for creating chaos and tension in the region.”
“Our people in Gaza will not allow for these plans to come to pass,” he said in a statement distributed by Hamas.
“What is needed is the end of the occupation and the aggression against our people, not expelling them from their land.”
Mr. Trump’s meeting with Mr. Netanyahu is his first in-person meeting with another world leader since returning to power two weeks ago.
The two are expected to discuss negotiations for the second phase of the fragile cease-fire with Hamas, Iran’s efforts to build a nuclear weapon, new arms shipments and hopes for a deal to normalize relations with Saudi Arabia.
The meeting, which is part of a multiday visit to Washington by Mr. Netanyahu, is meant to demonstrate the close ties between the two leaders.
More than a year of war between Israel and Hamas severely strained the relationship between the Israeli leader and President Joseph R. Biden Jr.
Mr. Trump and Mr. Netanyahu had forged a close partnership during the president’s first term but fell out toward its end over a number of issues, including the Israeli leader’s willingness to congratulate Mr. Biden on his victory in the 2020 election, which Mr. Trump to this day insists he won.
Mr. Trump and Mr. Netanyahu have sought to smooth over their rift, and the president told reporters last weekend that he was looking forward to the meeting.
“The discussions on the Middle East with Israel and various and sundry other countries are progressing,” the president said, adding that Mr. Netanyahu would be “coming on Tuesday, and I think we have some very big meetings scheduled.”
But Mr. Netanyahu went into his meeting at odds with Mr. Trump on several important issues, according to analysts, likely including how to confront Iran’s nuclear ambitions and how quickly to end the war in Gaza.
The Trump administration has made clear that it wants to see all of the hostages held by Hamas returned and then move on to a grand bargain involving Saudi Arabia that formalizes relations with Israel.
All of that hinges on an end to fighting in the Palestinian enclave.
With Mr. Netanyahu’s right-wing government in jeopardy if the war ends with Hamas still in control in Gaza, and with no other plan for the area in place, analysts expect the Israeli prime minister to try to delay moving to the next stage of the deal, which calls for a permanent cease-fire.
(NYT/vitalnewsngr.com)
