Trump: My plan for Gaza does not include the right of return for the Palestinians and I will be the owner of this area

US President Donald Trump said that his plan to seize and rebuild Gaza will not include the right of Palestinians to return to it, expressing his optimism about striking a deal with Egypt and Jordan to accept the displacement of Gaza residents to the two countries.

"I think I can make a deal with Jordan and Egypt," he told Fox News on Monday, explaining to the host, "as you know, we give them billions and billions a year." This is the first time Trump has publicly linked the displacement of Gazans to aid to Egypt and Jordan.

The United States provides military and economic aid to Egypt, as part of the Camp David peace agreement with Israel, worth $2.1 billion annually, part of which is linked to progress on human rights. Washington also provides military and economic aid to Jordan worth about $1.4 billion annually.

Regarding his plan for Gaza, Trump said: "We will build safe residential areas a certain distance from where they are now. In the meantime, I will own this area (Gaza). Think of it as a real estate development project for the future, it will be a great piece of land." Asked if there would be a right of return for the Palestinians, Trump replied: "No, they will not be given that right because they will get much better housing." He added: "If they have to return, it will take years to happen, and the area there is not suitable for living," according to Anadolu.

“What’s interesting is the part where he says they won’t have the right to return to their land, the question is where do they go?” Fox News analysts said of the clip. “The president says we’re giving these countries (Egypt and Jordan) billions of dollars, and in this case it’s kind of like, ‘Well we’re helping you, you’re helping us,’” one commented.

On February 4, Trump revealed in a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House that his country intended to seize Gaza after displacing its entire Palestinian population to other countries. Trump did not rule out the possibility of deploying American forces to support the reconstruction of Gaza, expecting the United States to have “long-term ownership” of the Palestinian enclave, while Netanyahu welcomed Trump’s plan, considering it “the first new idea in years.”

Since January 25, Trump has been promoting a plan to displace the Palestinians of Gaza to neighboring countries, such as Egypt and Jordan, which was rejected by both countries, and was joined by other Arab countries and regional and international organizations. Yesterday, Sunday, Trump reiterated his controversial statements regarding the Gaza Strip, saying this time that he is still "committed to buying and owning Gaza," adding that he "may give parts of the Strip to other countries in the Middle East to build." The US president continued: "I will turn Gaza into a good site for future development," stressing that he "will take care of the Palestinians and make sure they are not killed."

Trump's statements aimed at displacing the Palestinians came at a time when Netanyahu said on Friday that "Saudi Arabia has vast areas and can establish a Palestinian state on them," in response to a question from the Israeli Channel 14 broadcaster regarding Riyadh's insistence on establishing a Palestinian state in order to normalize relations with Tel Aviv.

With American support, between October 7, 2023 and January 19, 2025, Israel committed genocide in Gaza, leaving about 160,000 Palestinian martyrs and wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 14,000 missing.

New Arab