Former U.S. President Donald Trump has proposed relocating Palestinians from Gaza to Egypt and Jordan, describing the territory as a “demolition site” following the Israel-Hamas war. Speaking aboard Air Force One on Saturday, Trump revealed he had discussed the idea with Jordan’s King Abdullah II and planned to speak with Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
“I’d like Egypt and Jordan to take people,” Trump said, referencing the displacement of Gaza’s 2.4 million residents, the majority of whom have already been uprooted multiple times due to ongoing conflict. “We’re talking about a million and a half people. Just clean out that whole thing. Over centuries, that site has faced many conflicts, and something needs to change.”
Trump added that this relocation could be either temporary or permanent, suggesting that housing could be built in new locations to offer displaced Palestinians the opportunity to live in peace.
The remarks follow a fragile truce between Israel and Hamas, signed at the end of Joe Biden’s presidency but claimed by Trump as a personal achievement. Trump also confirmed authorizing the release of a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs for Israel, previously delayed under Biden’s administration.
Gaza’s devastation from the conflict has left much of the area in ruins, with reconstruction expected to take years. Trump previously stated during his presidential campaign that Gaza could become “better than Monaco” if rebuilt properly. His son-in-law, Jared Kushner, suggested earlier this year that Gaza’s civilians could be relocated to unlock the region’s potential as a prime “waterfront property.”
However, the proposal has raised concerns among Palestinians, as such relocation evokes painful memories of the 1948 Nakba, or “catastrophe,” when mass displacement occurred during Israel’s formation. Israel has officially denied plans for mass evacuations, though some members of its far-right government have publicly expressed support for the idea.