Trump’s demand for the relocation of Palestinians is rejected by Arab foreign ministers

Arab foreign ministers united against U.S. President Donald Trump’s request for Egypt and Jordan to take in Gaza Strip inhabitants on Saturday, rejecting the removal of Palestinians from their territory under any circumstances.

Foreign ministers and representatives from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, the Palestinian Authority, and the Arab League said in a joint statement after a meeting in Cairo that such a move would jeopardize regional stability, escalate conflict, and erode peace prospects.

“We affirm our rejection of [any attempts] to compromise Palestinians’ unalienable rights, whether through settlement activities, or evictions or annex of land or through vacating the land from its owners…in any form or under any circumstances or justifications,” the joint statement stated.

On the basis of a two-state solution, they said, they were eager to collaborate with Trump’s administration to bring about a fair and comprehensive peace in the Middle East.

The discussion follows Trump’s declaration last week that Egypt and Jordan should host Palestinians from Gaza, which he described as a “demolition site” after 15 months of Israeli assault that left the majority of its 2.3 million residents without a place to live. His proposal has been compared to ethnic cleansing by critics.

Egyptians would come to the streets to voice their discontent, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said Wednesday, rejecting the notion that Egypt will help to relocate Gazans.

But on Thursday, Trump reaffirmed the notion, stating: “We do a lot for them, and they are going to do it,” seemingly alluding to the substantial military and other U.S. help that Egypt and Jordan get.

The Palestinian leadership has always opposed any proposal that the Palestinians evacuate Gaza, a territory they desire to become a component of an independent state, and neighboring Arab governments have consistently rejected this idea since the war in Gaza started in October 2023.

Tens of thousands reside in Egypt, while several million Palestinians already call Jordan home. Trump’s proposal has been rejected in recent days by the foreign ministries of Jordan and Egypt.

The proposals for Egypt to host an international conference with the UN aimed at reconstructing Gaza, which has been mostly destroyed during the 15-month conflict between Israel and Hamas, were also warmly received by the Arab ministers. The conference date has not yet been announced.