WASHINGTON—As he hosted Jordan’s King Abdullah II at the White House on Feb. 11, President Donald Trump said he has the authority to order a U.S. takeover of the Gaza Strip and taxpayer dollars won’t be needed to obtain the land.
“We’re not going to buy anything. We’re going to have it. We’re going to keep it, and we’re going to make sure that there’s going to be peace,” Trump said, as he addressed reporters at the White House on Feb. 11, while sitting alongside the Jordanian monarch.
In remarks at the White House on Feb. 10, Trump said he could withhold aid for Egypt or Jordan if they refused to take in the Gazans.
In 2023, Jordan received nearly $1.7 billion in aid from the United States, with 75 percent allocated to economic aid and the remaining to military support. Jordan was the third-largest U.S. aid recipient, following Ukraine and Israel.
The fourth-largest recipient of U.S. aid was Egypt, receiving over $1.5 billion in taxpayer funds, with 81 percent allocated to military assistance.
Sitting alongside Trump at the White House media availability on Tuesday, Abdullah didn’t commit to Trump’s broader relocation proposal but said his country would take in some at-risk children from Gaza.
“We’re going to have some interesting discussions today. I think one of the things that we can do right away is take 2,000 children that are either cancer children or in a very ill state,” Abdullah told reporters.
The Jordanian monarch said he’s waiting to hear a different proposal from Egypt concerning Gaza’s population.
Trump has said he would also meet with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, though no meeting has been scheduled as yet.
It is unclear how Gaza’s population may be convinced or incentivized to leave. Relocating the population of a war-torn territory by force or coercion could run afoul of international law standards.
When asked during the Tuesday meeting what will happen to Palestinians who refuse to leave Gaza, Trump said, “They’re going to be very happy.”
The president said the only reason the Palestinians may wish to remain in the Gaza Strip is because they’ve never had an alternative.
“When they have an alternative, not one person will want to stay where they are. Nobody wants to stay there. They’re living in hell,” Trump said.
Egypt, Jordan, and other Arab nations considering Trump’s proposal have instead reiterated their commitment to a two-state solution for the Palestinian people and called for Gaza’s reconstruction to proceed “in a manner that ensures the Palestinians remain on their land.”
“Achieving just peace on the basis of the two-state solution is the way to ensure regional stability. This requires U.S. leadership,” Abdullah wrote.
The Jordanian leader credited Trump with helping secure the current Gaza cease-fire and insisted the United States and other stakeholders help maintain the peace framework.
