Trump makes it clear to Jordanian King that the US plans to take over Gaza and permanently displace Palestinians

(Patria) - US President Donald Trump met today with Jordanian King Abdullah and reiterated before him the plan for the US to take over Gaza and permanently displace Palestinians from the enclave, despite the fact that Arab allies - including Jordan - have rejected this proposal.

- We will take it, we will keep it, and we will appreciate it. We will develop it eventually and create many jobs for people in the Middle East, Trump said about the Gaza Strip.

He assessed that his plan would bring peace to the region, adding that both Jordan and Egypt would eventually agree to accept Palestinians.

- I believe we will have a piece of land in Jordan, I believe we will have a piece of land in Egypt. Maybe we will have somewhere else, but I think that when we finish our talks, they will have a place where they will be happy and safe, Trump added.

He previously said he would consider suspending aid to Jordan if it refused to accept displaced Palestinians. Today, however, he stated that he does not use support as a threat.

- We give a lot of money to Jordan, Egypt... However, we don't have to threaten with that, I think we are above that, Trump stated.

Jordanian King Abdullah had previously stated that he does not accept any annexation of territory or displacement of Palestinians.

When asked by journalists if he would accept Palestinians, he replied today that he must do what is best for his country and that Arab countries will come to Washington with a counter-proposal.

- The essence is how to do it in a way that is good for everyone, King Abdullah said, but he did not explicitly support or reject Trump's plan.

He also added that he conveyed to Trump that his country would receive about 2,000 sick children from Gaza.

It was expected that King Abdullah would convey to the US President that the US takeover of Gaza would cause chaos and radicalize the region, threaten peace with Israel, and endanger the country's very existence, Reuters reports.

President Donald J. Trump welcomes @KingAbdullahII and Crown Prince Al-Hussein bin Abdullah of Jordan to the White House today. 🇺🇸🇯🇴 pic.twitter.com/C4UCX8cHGo

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 11, 2025

According to a poll conducted by Reuters and Ipsos from February 7 to 9, 74 percent of Americans oppose the idea of the US taking control of Gaza and displacing Palestinians to other countries.

The survey showed that Republicans are divided on the issue - 55 percent were against it, and 43 percent were for the proposal.

Trump's proposal has further complicated the situation in the region, including the fragile ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian extremist group Hamas, which has already been called into question.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today that the ceasefire would end if Hamas did not release Israeli hostages by Saturday noon, and that the Israeli army would continue its offensive in the enclave "until the extremists are defeated".

Hamas has begun to gradually release some hostages as part of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement reached last month, but yesterday announced that it would not release more hostages for the time being and accused Israel of violating the ceasefire by attacking Palestinians and stopping aid deliveries to Gaza.

- In light of Hamas's announcement of its decision to violate the agreement and not release our hostages, I ordered the Israel Defense Forces last night to deploy forces in and around the Gaza Strip. That operation is underway and will be completed in the very near future, Netanyahu said.

Trump also warned Hamas yesterday to release all hostages or he would propose the termination of the ceasefire. A Hamas official told Reuters today that hostages would only be released if the ceasefire is respected and rejected the threats.

Israel rejects accusations of withholding aid and claims it fired at people who did not heed warnings not to approach Israeli forces' positions.

The Gaza Strip, one of the most densely populated areas in the world, has been devastated by the Israeli military offensive launched after Hamas's attack on Israel in 2023.

There is not enough food, water, and shelter in the enclave, and it requires billions of dollars in aid.