US President Donald Trump has said he wants Egypt and Jordan to take in Palestinians from Gaza, which he described as a “demolition site”.
In a phone call this weekend, Mr Trump said he had told Jordan’s King Abdullah: “I’d love you to take on more, because I’m looking at the whole Gaza Strip right now and it’s a mess, it’s a real mess.” He said he planned to make a similar request to Egypt’s president on Sunday.
The move “could be temporary” or “could be long-term”, he said.
Hamas has vowed to oppose any such action, and the comments will likely outrage Palestinians in Gaza, who see the territory as their ancestral home.
“Our Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip endured death and destruction for 15 months… without leaving their land. Therefore, they will not accept any offers or solutions, even if they appear to be good intentions under the title of reconstruction, as announced by US President Trump’s proposals,” Bassem Naim, a member of the Hamas political bureau, told the BBC.
“Our people, just as they have thwarted all plans for displacement and an alternative homeland over the decades, will also thwart such projects,” he added.
Most of Gaza’s two million residents have been displaced in the 15 months of war with Israel, which has flattened much of Gaza’s infrastructure.
The United Nations has previously estimated that 60% of structures across Gaza have been damaged or destroyed, and it could take decades to rebuild.
Credit: bbc.com
