President Donald Trump on Tuesday stood firm on his controversial proposal to relocate Palestinians from Gaza and transform the area into a luxury development zone, despite clear reservations from his guest, King Abdullah II of Jordan.
Trump reiterated his belief that Palestinians should be relocated to "parcels" in third countries, including Jordan, even though leaders from those nations have voiced strong opposition to the idea. When questioned about the U.S. authority to assume control of Gaza, Trump brushed it off.
“It’s not complicated. With the United States in charge of that land—quite a large piece—you’ll finally have stability in the Middle East,” Trump said from the Oval Office.
King Abdullah, seated beside Trump, didn’t reject the plan outright but made his reservations clear, stressing that there were other approaches led by Arab nations. “There’s a plan from Egypt and the Arab countries,” Abdullah said. “The point is how to make this work for everyone. Let’s not rush ahead.”
In a follow-up statement, Abdullah was more direct: “I reiterated Jordan’s firm position against displacing Palestinians from Gaza or the West Bank. This is the unified Arab stance. The priority should be rebuilding Gaza without displacing its people and addressing the severe humanitarian crisis,” he wrote on X.
Trump, however, made it clear that his plan is serious and moving forward.
“We’re going to have it, we’re going to keep it, and we’re going to make sure there’s peace. Nobody’s going to question it,” he said. “We’re going to take it, hold it, and cherish it,” referring to Gaza.
Ceasefire Deadline
Trump’s comments add another layer of uncertainty to the already fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Sitting next to Abdullah, Trump repeated his ultimatum: Hamas must release all hostages by noon on Saturday or the ceasefire is over.
“All hell will break loose,” he warned. “I don’t think they’re going to make the deadline, personally.”
Negotiating the Deal
A week after introducing his bold plan to redevelop Gaza into what he called the “Riviera of the Middle East,” Trump appears determined to turn his vision into reality, no matter how unlikely it seems.
