President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah II have firmly rejected any forced displacement of Palestinians. Their response comes after former U.S. President Donald Trump suggested that Arab nations should take in Palestinians from Gaza.
El-Sisi declared that Egypt would not allow any such displacement, calling it a threat to national security. “The deportation or displacement of the Palestinian people is an injustice in which we cannot participate,” he said during a press conference on Wednesday.
King Abdullah echoed similar sentiments, insisting that Palestinians must remain on their land. The Jordanian royal palace released a statement reaffirming the country’s support for Palestinian statehood under a two-state solution.
Trump’s Controversial Proposal
Trump has repeatedly proposed moving Palestinians from Gaza to Jordan and Egypt. After the recent Israel-Hamas ceasefire, he suggested that relocating Gaza’s residents could be a temporary or long-term solution. He claimed it would provide them with “safer” living conditions.
His remarks have drawn widespread criticism from Palestinians and regional leaders. Many argue that forced displacement would undermine Palestinian statehood and create further instability in the Middle East.
Widespread Opposition to Forced Relocation
Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi rejected Trump’s idea, stating, “Jordan is for Jordanians and Palestine is for Palestinians.” He emphasized that Palestinians should not be removed from their homeland under any circumstances.
El-Sisi reiterated that the only viable solution is the creation of a Palestinian state. “The solution is not to remove the Palestinian people from their place,” he stated. He assured that Egypt would work with the U.S. to achieve peace based on the two-state framework.
Historical Parallels and Fears of Expulsion
Many Palestinians fear that leaving Gaza could result in permanent exile. Historical events, such as the Nakba in 1948, saw hundreds of thousands of Palestinians displaced during the creation of Israel.
Since October 2023, Israel’s military operations in Gaza have displaced nearly all of the territory’s 2.2 million residents. The conflict has killed more than 47,400 people, according to Palestinian health authorities. Arab nations have consistently warned against any attempts to push Palestinians into neighboring countries, drawing comparisons to past forced expulsions.
Strategic and Political Implications
Egypt and Jordan have longstanding peace agreements with Israel. Both nations support a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem. They believe that permanently relocating Palestinians would make achieving this goal even harder.
Despite their rejection of Trump’s proposal, Egypt and Jordan remain key U.S. allies. The U.S. recently exempted Egypt from a funding freeze, ensuring its annual $1.3 billion military aid package remains intact.
The firm stance taken by Egypt and Jordan underscores the broader regional resistance to forced Palestinian displacement. Their leadership continues to push for a diplomatic resolution that respects Palestinian sovereignty and territorial integrity.
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