Trump vows to displace Gaza residents, supports Israel’s annexation of the West Bank… and a new position from the King of Jordan

US President Donald Trump expressed his support for Israel's annexation of the West Bank on Tuesday, and renewed his pledge to control the Gaza Strip and displace its residents. Meanwhile, Jordan's King Abdullah II announced a new position in this regard.

Asked about Israel annexing the occupied West Bank, Trump said, "It will work," Reuters reported.

Regarding Gaza, the US President said, "We will manage Gaza very properly and we will not buy it."

Trump added, "The Palestinians will live safely somewhere other than Gaza, and I know that we are able to reach a solution."

The US President pledged that there would be "peace in Gaza and there would be development on a large scale in the region."

He also explained that he had "quick discussions" with the King of Jordan, "now and later we will have longer discussions."

"I think 99 percent we'll be able to do something with Egypt as well," Trump added.

He also said, "I think there will be pieces of land in Jordan and Egypt where Palestinians can live."

The US President pointed out that the people of the Middle East want peace, "and our plan will contribute to bringing peace to the region."

He said the United States provides a lot of money to Jordan and Egypt, "but we will not issue threats about it."

The US President stressed that he had received great support for the project he proposed regarding Gaza.

Asked by what authority he had control over Gaza, Trump said, "Under American authority."

Jordan is waiting for Egypt

Reuters quoted the King of Jordan as saying that the Kingdom will receive 2,000 sick Palestinian children.

Regarding receiving the Palestinians, Abdullah II said, "We must consider how to implement this in a way that serves everyone's interests."

Regarding the existence of land on which Palestinians can live, Abdullah II said, “I have to do what is in the interest of my country.”

"We have to wait to see a plan from Egypt," he added, noting that there would be a response from several countries.

"We will discuss in Saudi Arabia how to work with the United States on Gaza," the Jordanian king said.

"The Arab countries will submit their response to Trump's plan regarding the Gaza Strip," he added.

"Let's wait until Egypt presents its plan to President Trump and then consider it," Abdullah II said.

In the same context, the US President said that Hamas must release all the "hostages" by Saturday.

"I don't think Hamas will make Saturday a deadline for releasing the hostages," he said in his remarks.

Trump also said, "The prisoners are living badly in Gaza and we don't want them to be released in succession."

Arab and international rejection

Since January 25, the US President has been promoting a plan to displace Palestinians from Gaza to neighboring countries, such as Jordan and Egypt, which was rejected by both countries, and was joined by other Arab countries and regional and international organizations.

On both the official and popular levels, Amman anticipated the King's visit to Washington, since Sunday, by announcing its rejection of any plans to displace Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.

Today, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi stressed the need to rebuild the Gaza Strip “without displacing its Palestinian residents.”

Sisi stressed - during a phone call with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen - the "necessity of starting reconstruction operations in the Gaza Strip, with the aim of making it livable, without displacing its Palestinian residents, and in a way that ensures the preservation of their rights and ability to live on their land," according to a statement issued by his office.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz described Trump's proposal for US control of the Gaza Strip and the transfer of its residents to other countries as a "scandal."

Scholz explained that "transferring the population of Gaza is unacceptable and violates international law."

Source: Al Jazeera