President Donald Trump has as soon as once more insisted the US will take management of the Gaza Strip, as he met Jordan’s King Abdullah on the White Home on Tuesday.
It was their first assembly since Trump introduced his proposal to take over the enclave and transfer its inhabitants of two million Palestinians to different nations within the area, together with Jordan.
Earlier this week, Trump steered he might withhold assist to Jordan and Egypt until they agreed to soak up these Gazans.
Jordan, a key US ally within the Center East, is already dwelling to hundreds of thousands of Palestinians and has rejected the proposal. King Abdullah mentioned after their assembly that Jordan’s “steadfast place [is] in opposition to the displacement of Palestinians”.
However chatting with reporters within the Oval Workplace, with King Abdullah seated to his proper, Trump signalled he wouldn’t shift on his thought which triggered international condemnation when he unveiled it final week.
“We’ll take it. We’ll maintain it. We’ll cherish it,” he mentioned of Gaza.
Trump claimed that “loads of jobs” can be created throughout the area if a US takeover of the devastated territory had been to occur.
“I believe it could possibly be a diamond,” he mentioned, including that he now believes the US is “above” having to threaten different nations to take part.
King Abdullah sat quietly subsequent to Trump because the president repeated a proposal that will upend many years of established US coverage and will quantity to a breach of worldwide legislation, which prohibits the forcible switch of populations.
Jordan has thus far rejected the thought as a basic breach of worldwide legislation, however has quietly expressed considerations concerning the kingdom’s capacity to soak up giant numbers of Palestinians.
On the potential for taking in extra Palestinians, King Abdullah mentioned an answer that’s “finest for everyone” can be crucial. He mentioned Jordan would absorb 2,000 unwell Palestinian youngsters.
Trump, nonetheless, appeared unmoved and reiterated his stance that he expects Jordan and Egypt to play a component in housing resettled Palestinians.
“I consider we’ll have a parcel of land in Jordan. I consider we’ll have a parcel of land in Egypt,” Trump mentioned. “We could have someplace else, however I believe after we end our talks, we’ll have a spot the place they’ll dwell very fortunately and really safely.”
Following the assembly, King Abdullah wrote on X that the assembly was “constructive” and that his “foremost dedication is to Jordan, to its stability and to the well-being of Jordanians”.
However he made his nation’s considerations with Trump’s proposal clear.
“I reiterated Jordan’s steadfast place in opposition to the displacement of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Financial institution,” he mentioned. “That is the unified Arab place.”
“Rebuilding Gaza with out displacing the Palestinians and addressing the dire humanitarian state of affairs must be the precedence for all,” he added.
Jordan is already dwelling to hundreds of thousands of individuals descended from Palestinian refugees who had been compelled from the land that grew to become Israel in 1948, alongside these whose roots lie firmly east of the River Jordan.
The nation has additionally absorbed waves of refugees from Syria, and is closely reliant on US financial and navy help.
The UN has warned that any compelled displacement of civilians from occupied territory is strictly prohibited underneath worldwide legislation and “tantamount to ethnic cleaning”.
Trump on Tuesday appeared to dodge a query about that UN warning.
“We’re transferring them to a phenomenal location the place they’ll have new properties, the place they’ll dwell safely, the place they’ll have docs and medical and all of these issues,” he mentioned.
King Abdullah mentioned throughout the assembly that the matter can be mentioned and either side ought to “wait till the Egyptians” can current concepts.
The take care of Egypt is believed to be a proposal for the long run governance of Gaza, backed by different Arab states as a technique to counteract Trump’s plan.
Whereas nonetheless being formulated, it’s thought the proposal might contain an area administration of technocrats drawn from Palestinians in Gaza, with out affiliating to factions together with Hamas.
Since first revealing the US proposal throughout a information convention final week alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump has repeatedly doubled down on his plan for Gaza, saying he’s “dedicated to purchasing and proudly owning” it.
In an interview with Fox Information broadcast earlier this week, Trump mentioned Gaza’s two million residents can be resettled and haven’t any proper to return.
“They would not, as a result of they’ve a lot better housing,” he mentioned. “I am speaking about constructing a everlasting place for them.”