President Donald Trump’s recent suggestion to resettle Palestinians from Gaza in Egypt and Jordan has sparked controversy and is likely to face a firm “no” from both US allies and the Palestinians themselves. On Saturday, Trump proposed that he would urge the leaders of Egypt and Jordan to take in Gaza’s displaced population, which he described as a “demolition site” following Israel’s 15-month military campaign against Hamas, currently paused by a fragile ceasefire.
The US President suggested that resettling Gaza’s largely homeless population could be either a temporary or long-term solution. “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 said. However, his comments are unlikely to be welcomed by Egypt and Jordan, both of which have rejected similar proposals in the past.
Palestinian fears of permanent displacement
For Palestinians, the suggestion stirs deep fears. Having already faced multiple waves of displacement since the 1948 Nakba (the catastrophe), Palestinians view any attempt to resettle them outside Gaza as another step toward permanent dispossession. Many fear that leaving Gaza would mean never being allowed to return, a key concern in Palestinian culture, where steadfastness on one’s land is central.
Egypt’s and Jordan’s geopolitical concerns
Egypt and Jordan, which signed peace treaties with Israel but continue to support a Palestinian state, are also apprehensive about the broader geopolitical implications of such a proposal. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi has repeatedly warned against the security risks of transferring large numbers of Palestinians to Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, which borders Gaza. The fear is that Hamas and other militant groups, deeply embedded within Palestinian society, would move with the refugees, potentially leading to future conflicts on Egyptian soil. This scenario could threaten Egypt’s historic peace agreement with Israel, a cornerstone of regional stability.
“The peace which we have achieved would vanish from our hands,” el-Sissi stated in October 2023, after Hamas’ attack on southern Israel sparked the current war. Egypt already hosts nearly 9 million migrants, including refugees from Sudan’s ongoing civil war, and has little capacity to accommodate more.
Jordan, which hosts over 2 million Palestinian refugees, the majority of whom have been granted citizenship, has also rejected any suggestion that it should serve as a home for displaced Gazans. Jordanian officials have consistently opposed Israeli ultranationalist claims that Jordan could be a “Palestinian state,” emphasizing their rejection of any such proposal.
Israel’s possible support for the plan
Israel, however, is likely to support Trump’s idea, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right governing partners have long advocated the voluntary migration of Palestinians and the reestablishment of Jewish settlements in Gaza. Human rights organizations have criticized Israel’s policies, accusing it of ethnic cleansing, a charge that the United Nations has defined as the forced removal of civilians by violent means. For many Palestinians, the ongoing destruction in Gaza is seen as a new Nakba, reinforcing fears of permanent displacement.
Potential Strain on US-Middle East relations
The proposal also risks straining US relations with key regional players, particularly those who support the Palestinian cause, such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar. While Trump has historically maintained strong relationships with Egyptian and Jordanian leaders, the diplomatic fallout from pushing the resettlement plan could complicate his efforts to broker peace in the region, including a potential normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Economic leverage and regional instability
The US President’s plan hinges on whether he is willing to use economic leverage, such as sanctions or tariffs, against Egypt and Jordan, both of which receive billions of dollars in US aid each year. However, the political and humanitarian implications of forcing these nations to accept refugees could prove disastrous, further destabilizing an already fragile region.
For now, the future of Trump’s Gaza refugee proposal remains uncertain, with widespread opposition likely to quash any efforts to resettle Palestinians in Egypt and Jordan. The decades-long refugee crisis continues to be a flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with no resolution in sight.
How US has pushed for two-state solution diplomatically over the years
The United States has long championed a two-state solution as the path to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, promoting Palestinian statehood alongside Israel through diplomatic means. This vision has been a central focus of US foreign policy in the Middle East, but the process has faced numerous challenges.
The US has consistently advocated for direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) as the means to achieve Palestinian statehood. Successive administrations have supported a two-state solution, though achieving it has proven elusive. Key moments, such as the Oslo Accords in the 1990s, saw US efforts to mediate peace talks, with the goal of creating a Palestinian state alongside Israel. However, the process has stalled multiple times due to disagreements over issues like borders, security, and the status of Jerusalem.
In recent years, the US sought to advance the peace process in new ways. Just weeks before the Hamas attacks in October 2023, the Biden administration attempted to broker a historic deal to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia’s support for this deal was conditional on progress toward resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including the establishment of a Palestinian state. However, these talks were halted by Saudi Arabia in light of the war in Gaza, which has since killed thousands of Palestinians.
The Biden administration, despite its focus on normalizing relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, has also expressed support for Palestinian statehood. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has indicated that the US is actively pursuing the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. However, some experts doubt the US will invest substantial resources into this pursuit, viewing the Saudi-Israel normalization deal as the primary focus of the administration.
