Arab nations have firmly rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s suggestion to relocate Palestinians from Gaza to neighbouring Egypt and Jordan.
On Saturday, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, the Palestinian Authority, and the Arab League issued a joint statement condemning any plans to displace Palestinians from Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
The statement emphasised that such proposals would destabilise the region, escalate the ongoing conflict, and undermine the potential for peace and coexistence among its people.
The rejection followed a meeting in Cairo with senior diplomats from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar, alongside Palestinian official Hussein al-Sheikh and Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul-Gheit.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi had already rejected the idea on Wednesday, stating that Egypt would never facilitate the displacement of Palestinians.
He emphasised that any such attempt would be intolerable and would lead to widespread public protests in Egypt.
Trump reiterated the suggestion on Thursday, noting that Egypt and Jordan receive significant U.S. aid, including military assistance, and implying that they should be willing to accept the displaced Palestinians.
The Cairo meeting also focused on maintaining the cease-fire in Gaza and discussed how to ensure that the Palestinian Authority could assume a governing role in the Strip.
The diplomats called for efforts to fully implement a peace deal and stressed the importance of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in Gaza.
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They reiterated their position that Israel should withdraw from all occupied territories and rejected any division of Gaza.
The Arab ministers also expressed support for Egypt’s plans to host an international conference in collaboration with the United Nations to rebuild Gaza, which has been heavily damaged during the 15-month conflict between Israel and Hamas.
While the conference’s date remains undecided, the focus will be on rebuilding the war-torn region.
