By Nandita Bose and Kanishka Singh
On board the Air Force One (Reuters) -US, President Donald Trump, said on Saturday that Jordan and Egypt should take more Palestinians from Gaza, where the military aggression of Israel has caused a humanitarian situation Disastrous and killed tens of thousands.
When asked if it was a temporary or long -term suggestion, Trump said: “Could be.”
Washington had declared last year that he opposed the forced trip of the Palestinians. Rights defense groups and humanitarian agencies have concerns for the situation in Gaza for months, the war moving almost the entire population and leading to a hunger crisis.
Washington also faced criticism to support Israel, but maintained his support for his ally, saying that he helps Israel defend himself against militant groups supported by Iran such as Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and The Houthis in Yemen.
“I told him that I would love you to take more because I look at the whole Gaza band right now and it’s a mess, it’s a real mess. I would like him to take people”, Trump, who took office on January 20, said about his call on Saturday with King Abdullah of Jordan.
“I would like Egypt to take people,” Trump told journalists, adding that he would speak on Sunday to Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sissi.
“You are talking about a million people and half, and we are cleaning it up,” said Trump.
The population of the Palestinian enclave before the start of the War of Israel-Gaza was around 2.3 million.
Gaza is a “demolition site”
“It is literally a demolition site, almost everything is demolished and people die there, so I prefer to get involved in some of the Arab nations and build housing in a different place where they can perhaps live in peace for a Change, “Trump says.
The last Israeli-Palestinian effort aged in the decades was launched on October 7, 2023, when activists from Palestinian Hamas attacked Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostages, according to Israeli accounts.
The military assault of Israel against Gaza killed more than 47,000 people, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health, and led to accusations of genocide and war crimes that Israel denies.
A ceasefire entered into force a week ago and led to the release of certain Israeli hostages held by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
