Donald Trump proposes Jordan and Egypt as new homes for Gazans; Hamas rejects the plan

Former U.S. President Donald Trump stirred controversy in the Middle East by proposing a bold solution to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict: relocating the population of Gaza to Jordan and Egypt. Speaking to reporters, Trump described Gaza as a "demolition site" after 15 months of war and suggested that neighboring Arab nations could provide new homes for displaced Gazans.

"I'd like Egypt to take people, and I'd like Jordan to take people," Trump stated, adding that most of Gaza's population comprises Palestinian refugees or their descendants. He proposed relocating about 1.5 million people to other areas, saying, "We could build housing elsewhere where they might finally live in peace."

Hamas Pushes Back

Hamas, the governing authority in Gaza, immediately rejected the proposal. Bassem Naim, a senior political leader in Hamas, declared that Palestinians would resist any such plans. "For decades, we have fought against displacement and alternative homeland projects, and we will continue to foil these schemes," Naim said.

The Islamic Jihad movement, which has allied with Hamas in Gaza, condemned the idea as "deplorable." They accused Trump of supporting "war crimes and crimes against humanity" by encouraging the forced removal of Palestinians from their land.

Mixed Reactions to the Proposal

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich supported Trump's suggestion, calling it "out-of-the-box thinking" and emphasizing the need for innovative solutions to achieve peace and security. Smotrich said helping Palestinians "start a better life" elsewhere could pave the way for long-term stability.

However, Egypt and Jordan have signaled strong resistance to such proposals. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has warned that forced displacement into the Sinai Desert could jeopardize Egypt's peace treaty with Israel. Similarly, Jordan, already home to 2.3 million Palestinian refugees, has consistently opposed any plans to absorb more displaced people.

The Devastation in Gaza

The war, which began with a Hamas-led attack on Israeli cities that killed 1,210 people, has left Gaza in ruins. According to reports, nearly 70% of Gaza’s structures are damaged, and over 47,000 people, mostly civilians, have died during the conflict.

As the region grapples with the fallout of the prolonged war, Trump's controversial proposal has sparked a heated debate on the future of Gaza and its people.