Following comments made by US President Donald Trump suggesting that Gazans been relocated to Egypt and Jordan, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah II on Wednesday vehemently opposed the forced movement of Palestinians from the war-torn region.
Sisi said that removing” the Arab citizens from their property is an injustice that we cannot take part in” in his first public comment on Trump’s comments. He reaffirmed Egypt’s unwavering support for the establishment of a Palestinian state during a press event in Cairo along with Kenyan President William Ruto.
” Our ancient position in favour of a Palestinian state can never be compromised”, Sisi said. He continued, nevertheless, that Egypt is “determined to work with President Trump, who seeks the desired harmony based on the two-state option,” and that he was confident in his ability to bring about” a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.”
However, in Brussels, Jordan’s King Abdullah II reiterated his country’s “firm place on the need to maintain the Palestinians on their property and to maintain their legitimate privileges, in accordance with the Israeli and Palestinian two-state answer”.
After an Israel-Hamas ceasefire ended on January 19 and was reiterated on Monday, Trump had initially suggested moving Gazans.
Speaking to reporters, he suggested that Egypt and Jordan could collect displaced Palestinians.
” We helped them a bit, and I’m sure he’d help us”, Trump said, referring to Sisi. ” As they say, it’s a rough village, but I think he would do it, and I think the prince of Jordan would do it to”.
The plan has been extensively condemned by local officials, as well as by Germany and France, both of which labelled it “unacceptable”.
But, far-right financing secretary Bezalel Smotrich of Israel called it a “great idea” and claimed he was working with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to create a tactical plan to put it into action.
Egypt and Jordan have consistently warned against any attempts to immediately travel Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict in October 2023, arguing that for goes may destroy the chances of Israeli sovereignty.
Sisi has regularly argued that the demand for a Israeli sovereignty may be “eliminated” by the mass movement of Gazans.
Important US allies in the region, Egypt and Jordan, are greatly dependent on foreign assistance, with Washington being one of their biggest donors.
