Trump Reiterates His Gaza Plan in Meeting with King of Jordan

On Tuesday, February 12, Donald Trump, the President of the United States, met with King Abdullah II of Jordan and reiterated his demand for Jordan and Egypt to accept Palestinians from Gaza. Before starting his discussions with the Jordanian king, Trump told reporters at the White House, "You will see tremendous progress... This is not a complex task." Trump stated, "For the first time, you will have stability in the Middle East. And the Palestinians, or the people currently living in Gaza, will have a beautiful life elsewhere." In response to reporters' questions about the details of the "elsewhere" he mentioned, he said that Palestinians would live in a place that would ultimately be decided collectively, "which could be a piece of land in Jordan... or a piece of land in Egypt." The U.S. President has previously stated that Palestinians currently living in Gaza will be relocated to a place outside the region according to his plan and will not have the right to return. Trump has described his plan for this narrow strip along the Mediterranean Sea as the "future real estate development" plan. This idea has faced negative reactions from Arab countries, and both Egypt and Jordan have not yet agreed to Trump's request to accept Palestinians from Gaza. Earlier on Monday, February 11, Trump told reporters at the White House, "I think [King Abdullah] will accept the refugees." When asked whether he would withhold aid to these countries if Jordan and Egypt refused this request, he said he would take that action. Jordan, with a population of 11 million, currently hosts over 2 million Palestinian refugees. The country is also dependent on military and economic aid from Washington. Trump: If Jordan and Egypt do not accept the Gaza plan, U.S. aid to them may be cut off. Trump's plan for Gaza does not allow for the return of Palestinians. Before meeting with King Abdullah, Trump stated he is committed to buying and owning the Gaza Strip. Netanyahu commented on his meeting with Trump: "A historic turning point for Israel." Riyadh opposes Netanyahu's remarks about the exit of Palestinians from Gaza. Donald Trump stated regarding the outcomes of the Gaza plan: Stability will prevail in the region. The Israeli army is preparing a plan for the "voluntary exit" of Palestinians from Gaza.