Trump insists: Jordan and Egypt “Will accept displaced Gazans”

Shafaq News/ On Friday, US President Donald Trump reiterated for the third time that Jordan and Egypt would accept Palestinians displaced from Gaza, claiming they could be “pressured into doing so.”

Trump, responding to a journalist’s question in the Oval Office, stated, “They will do it. We give them a lot, and they will take them,” adding to similar statements he made on Thursday, in which he suggested that Jordan and Egypt would comply with efforts to relocate Palestinians from Gaza.

Five Arab foreign ministers are set to convene on Saturday in Cairo to discuss regional developments, including the situation in Gaza, including the prime ministers of Jordan, Egypt, and Qatar, as well as foreign ministers of the UAE, and Saudi Arabia.

Hussein Al-Sheikh, Secretary-General of the PLO Executive Committee, and Ahmed Aboul Gheit, the Arab League Secretary-General will also attend the meeting.

On Wednesday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi reaffirmed that any forced displacement of Palestinians is unacceptable and poses a direct threat to Egypt’s national security, confirming that “what is being said about displacing Palestinians is something we cannot tolerate or allow.”

His position was echoed by thousands of Egyptian demonstrators who gathered on Friday at the Rafah border crossing, protesting any forced relocation of Palestinians from Gaza.

Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi reaffirmed Amman’s firm opposition to any attempt to displace Palestinians forcibly. He stressed that the two-state solution is the only viable path to regional peace and reiterated that Jordan would not allow itself to become a substitute homeland for Palestinians.

Last Sunday, Trump suggested that Jordan, Egypt, and other Arab nations should accept more Palestinian refugees from Gaza to help “cleanse” the war-torn region, which drew swift condemnation from Arab leaders and Palestinian officials, who view any forced displacement of Palestinians as "a violation of international law and their right to remain on their land."

According to experts, if Trump insists on relocating Palestinians to Egypt and Jordan, he could exert economic pressure on both nations. 

US tariffs or outright sanctions could have a devastating impact on Jordan and Egypt. Both countries receive billions of dollars in American aid annually, and Egypt is already grappling with a severe economic crisis, experts warn.