President Trump proposes displacing over a million Palestinian refugees from Gaza and suggests Arab nations take them in. He also lifts a ban on sending 2,000-pound bombs to Israel.
President Donald Trump stated Saturday his desire for Jordan , Egypt , and other Arab nations to increase the number of Palestinian refugees they accept from the Gaza Strip, potentially displacing enough of the population to essentially 'clean out' the war-torn region and create a fresh start. During a 20-minute question-and-answer session with reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump also announced the lifting of a ban imposed by his predecessor on sending 2,000-pound bombs to Israel .
This decision removes a previous constraint aimed at minimizing civilian casualties during Israel's conflict with Hamas in Gaza, which is currently paused by a fragile ceasefire. 'We released them today,' Trump declared, referring to the bombs. 'They've been waiting for them for a long time.' When asked about the rationale behind removing the ban, Trump simply replied, 'Because they bought them.' Trump has consistently advocated for Israel throughout his political career. Regarding his broader vision for Gaza, Trump revealed he had spoken earlier that day with King Abdullah II of Jordan and planned to speak with President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi of Egypt on Sunday. 'I'd like Egypt to take people,' Trump expressed. 'You're talking about probably a million and a half people, and we just clean out that whole thing and say, 'You know, it's over.''Trump commended Jordan for effectively accepting Palestinian refugees and conveyed to the king, 'I'd love for you to take on more, cause I'm looking at the whole Gaza Strip right now, and it's a mess. It's a real mess.' Such a drastic relocation of people would directly contradict Palestinian identity and their deep-rooted connection to Gaza. However, Trump asserted that the region encompassing Gaza has experienced 'many, many conflicts' over centuries. He suggested that resettlement could be either temporary or long-term. 'Something has to happen,' Trump emphasized. 'But it's literally a demolition site right now. Almost everything's demolished, and people are dying there.' He added, 'So, I'd rather get involved with some of the Arab nations, and build housing in a different location, where they can maybe live in peace for a change.' Trump has previously expressed unconventional views on Gaza's future. Shortly after his inauguration, he suggested that Gaza 'really got to be rebuilt in a different way.' The then-president further stated, 'Gaza is interesting. It's a phenomenal location, on the sea. The best weather, you know, everything is good. It's like, some beautiful things could be done with it, but it's very interesting.'Meanwhile, his decision to resume the delivery of large bombs marks a departure from former President Joe Biden, who halted their delivery in May as part of an initiative to prevent Israel from launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah. A month later, Israel did gain control of the city, but after the majority of the 1 million civilians residing in or seeking refuge in Rafah had fled. 'Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers,' Biden told CNN in May when he suspended the weapons. 'I made it clear that if they go into Rafah ... I'm not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities, that deal with that problem.' Biden's pause had also affected the delivery of 1,700 500-pound bombs that were part of the same shipment to Israel, but those bombs were delivered weeks later. Trump's action comes as he celebrates the initial phase of a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, which has brought a pause to the fighting and resulted in the release of some hostages held by Hamas in Gaza in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. Negotiations for the more challenging second phase of the agreement, which would eventually lead to the release of all hostages held by Hamas and a lasting cessation of hostilities, are yet to commence. The Israeli government has threatened to resume its war against Hamas — which launched a massive attack against Israel on October 7, 2023 — if the remaining hostages are not released.
GAZA PALESTINE ISRAEL TRUMP CEASEFIRE BOMBS REFUGEES EGYPT JORDAN HAMAS
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