Palestinians Should Relocate to a ‘Beautiful’ Place – Trump Suggests

Former U.S. President Donald Trump sparks controversy by suggesting Palestinians relocate to a ‘beautiful’ place amid ongoing Gaza conflict. Read more about his remarks and global reactions.

Ahead of his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Tuesday, President Donald Trump has suggested permanently resettling Palestinians from Gaza to nearby countries, referring to the region as a “demolition site” unsuitable for living.

The two leaders are meeting during a delicate six-week ceasefire in Gaza, which follows 15 months of conflict between Israel and Hamas. The United Nations reports that approximately 1.9 million individuals—over 90% of Gaza’s population—have been displaced since the war began in October 2023.

“You can’t currently live in Gaza, and I believe we need to consider another location,” Trump mentioned to journalists during a photo opportunity with Netanyahu. “I think it should be somewhere that brings happiness to people. If we can find an appealing area where individuals can permanently resettle in comfortable homes—where they can feel safe without the threat of being shot or killed like what’s happening now in Gaza.”

According to the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), around 92% of homes in the Gaza Strip have been destroyed or severely damaged. In recent weeks, Trump, once a real estate mogul, has frequently described Gaza as a “demolition site.”

“There are barely any buildings left standing, and those that remain are likely to collapse,” Trump said, also cautioning about “a very dangerous situation with explosives scattered everywhere.”

Trump proposed that countries like Jordan and Egypt should accommodate displaced Palestinians, even though these nations have previously rejected any form of “direct expulsion or coerced migration.” A joint statement issued on Saturday by Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, the Palestinian Authority, and the Arab League warned that such actions could “threaten regional stability,” risk escalating conflict further and undermine peace prospects among its populations.

Netanyahu refrained from commenting on Trump’s proposal but conveyed his appreciation for the US president’s role in the Gaza ceasefire, recognizing his “great force and powerful leadership” in helping to broker the deal. He also detailed Israel’s goals going forward: freeing all hostages, dismantling Hamas’ military power and governance, and eliminating any threat from Gaza towards Israel.

According to recent data from Gaza’s Health Ministry, approximately 47,500 Palestinians have been killed and over 111,500 injured during the past 15 months of Israeli attacks on Gaza. Although a ceasefire was agreed upon on January 15, Israel has since claimed that Hamas violated a prisoner swap agreement and stopped Gazans from returning to their homes in the northern region of the enclave. Additionally, both parties have accused each other of breaching the terms of the ceasefire.

Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian ambassador to the UN, dismissed Trump’s proposal, asserting that Palestinians “want to rebuild Gaza because this is where we belong.”

“For those wishing to provide the Palestinian people with a ‘nice place,’ let them return to their original homes in what is currently Israel,” Mansour stated.

Hamas representatives criticized Trump’s proposal, describing it as “a recipe for creating chaos and tension in the region” and pledged to oppose any relocation plans. Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri stated, “Our people in the Gaza Strip will not allow these initiatives to succeed. What is needed is an end to occupation and aggression against our people, not their expulsion from their land.”