CAIRO. Key Arab nations have strongly rejected former U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal to relocate Palestinians from Gaza to neighboring Egypt and Jordan, emphasizing that such a move threatens regional stability and undermines peace efforts.
In a joint statement issued on Saturday, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, the Palestinian Authority, and the Arab League dismissed any plan to transfer Palestinians out of their territories in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. The statement warned that such a proposal could escalate conflicts and hinder prospects for coexistence.
Trump first floated the idea last month, suggesting that the leaders of Jordan and Egypt should accommodate Gaza’s largely displaced population. “We just clean out that whole thing,” he said, referring to the widespread destruction caused by Israel’s prolonged military operations in Gaza. He added that relocating Gaza’s 2.3 million residents could be temporary or permanent. Israeli officials had also raised similar proposals earlier in the war.
The joint Arab statement made clear their stance: “Such plans threaten the region’s stability, risk expanding the conflict, and undermine prospects for peace and coexistence among its peoples.”
The statement followed a high-level diplomatic meeting in Cairo, attended by officials including Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, and Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit. Senior Palestinian official Hussein al-Sheikh, the primary liaison with Israel, also participated in the discussions.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi outright rejected Trump’s suggestion during a press conference last week, firmly stating: “The transfer of Palestinians can’t ever be tolerated or allowed.” He reiterated that the only viable solution is the two-state framework: “The solution to this issue is the two-state solution. It is the establishment of a Palestinian state. The solution is not to remove the Palestinian people from their place. No.”
Similarly, Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi emphasized his country’s firm stance: “Our opposition to this idea is firm and unwavering.”
Egypt and Jordan, along with Palestinian leaders, fear that once displaced, Palestinians may never be allowed to return to Gaza. They also highlight the severe economic and security consequences of absorbing large numbers of refugees. Jordan already hosts over 2 million Palestinian refugees, while Egypt has voiced concerns about potential security risks if large numbers of displaced Palestinians are relocated to the Sinai Peninsula, which borders Gaza.
Both Egypt and Jordan were the first Arab nations to sign peace treaties with Israel. However, they remain committed to the establishment of a Palestinian state encompassing the occupied West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem—territories that Israel seized during the 1967 Mideast War.
Additionally, the Arab nations underscored the importance of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in providing essential aid. They described its role as “pivotal, non-replaceable” and condemned any attempts to diminish or bypass its efforts.
The statement comes in the wake of Israel’s formal ban on UNRWA last Thursday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right allies have accused the agency of being infiltrated by Hamas, a claim that UNRWA strongly denies. The agency currently provides essential humanitarian aid and services to approximately 2.5 million Palestinian refugees in Gaza, the occupied West Bank, and East Jerusalem, along with 3 million more in Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon. Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023, UNRWA has been the primary lifeline for Palestinians in Gaza.
The Arab nations concluded their statement by urging the international community to support a comprehensive reconstruction plan for Gaza, ensuring that its residents can remain in their homeland. They reiterated their commitment to working with global partners, including the United States, to “achieve a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East, based on the two-state solution.”
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
