On Tuesday, former President Donald Trump suggested that Palestinians should be permanently relocated from Gaza, questioning why they would want to return after the area was devastated by over 15 months of war between Israel and Hamas.
During a White House meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump reiterated his proposal that neighboring countries like Jordan and Egypt should take in displaced Palestinians. However, this was the first time he explicitly stated that they should not return to Gaza, even after potential reconstruction.
“I hope we can find a much better alternative where they wouldn’t want to return. Why would they? The place has been hell,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. He added, “I don’t think people should be going back to Gaza. It’s not a place for people to live. The only reason they want to return is because they have no alternative. If they had one, they’d prefer a safer, better place.”
Trump’s remarks marked his most direct endorsement of relocating Palestinians out of Gaza, calling the territory a “demolition site.”
When asked whether a Palestinian state was necessary for Israel-Saudi Arabia relations, Trump was noncommittal, saying, “They are demanding one thing—peace.”
U.S. policy has traditionally supported a two-state solution, but Trump’s comments cast doubt on that stance and efforts toward Palestinian sovereignty.
Arab leaders have rejected the idea of forced displacement, with Egypt and Jordan—both of which have peace treaties with Israel—arguing that such a move would pose security risks and destabilize the region. Jordan already hosts about 3 million Palestinians, many displaced by previous conflicts.
Foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Qatar, the UAE, and a senior Palestinian official recently wrote to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, warning that such actions would violate international law and threaten regional stability. “Palestinians do not want to leave their land. We support their position unequivocally,” the letter stated.