Palestinians in the Gaza Strip fear a return to war after Hamas threatened to delay plans to release the next Israeli hostage and U.S. President Donald Trump called on the ceasefire to end. “We’re sick of war. We’re starting to expect death,” he said.
While hosting Jordan’s King Abdullah II at the White House on Tuesday, Trump raised his plans to take over Gaza. “I think it would be a great thing for the Palestinians. They would love it. I’ve done real estate. I can talk to you about real estate.” They would love it,” he said.The Palestinians, along with Jordan, Egypt and other countries, have rejected Trump’s plan to forcibly transfer some 1.9 million Gazans to neighboring countries. But while he said he would immediately accept 2,000 children in Gaza suffering from cancer and other illnesses, King Abdullah declined Trump’s invitation to present his counteroffer.
“I think we have to remember that there are plans from Egypt and the Arab countries. We were invited by [Saudi Crown Prince] Mohammed bin Salman to have discussions in Riyadh. I think the bottom line is how can we make this work in a way that is good for everyone,” he said.
The meeting is high-stakes for Abdullah, who must maintain relations with a key ally that Jordan relies on for foreign aid.
Trump on Monday hinted that he would withhold aid, but reversed that move on Tuesday.
Many Jordanians are descendants of displaced Palestinians. If Abdullah backs Trump’s plan, it would create major political and economic problems and could allow Hamas to gain entry, said Ghaith al-Omari of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
“Not only could Hamas create problems domestically in terms of terror, but there is also the fear that Jordan could become a staging ground for attacks on Israel. All of this would pose a very, very serious threat to Jordan’s stability and perhaps even its survival,” Ghaith al-Omari said.
Trump on Monday hinted that he would withhold aid, but reversed that move on Tuesday.
Many Jordanians are descendants of displaced Palestinians. If Abdullah backs Trump’s plan, it would create major political and economic problems and could allow Hamas to gain entry, said Ghaith al-Omari of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
“Not only could Hamas create problems domestically in terms of terror, but there is also the fear that Jordan could become a staging ground for attacks on Israel. All of this would pose a very, very serious threat to Jordan’s stability and perhaps even its survival,” Ghaith al-Omari said.
Al-Omari said Trump’s takeover plan halts Hamas’s push to resume the ceasefire. On Monday, the US-designated terror group threatened to delay the next planned hostage release, accusing Israel of violating the truce.
Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded with similar ultimatums. “The decision that I took unanimously in the Cabinet is: if Hamas does not return our hostages by noon on Saturday, the ceasefire will end and the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) will go back to the fierce fighting until they defeat Hamas,” he said.
Israel would hand Gaza over to the United States after the war, Trump said. “We will not buy anything. We will own it and we will keep it, and we will make sure that there will be peace and there will be no problems, and no one will question it.”
Gazans would disagree with that.
Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded with similar ultimatums. “The decision that I took unanimously in the Cabinet is: if Hamas does not return our hostages by noon on Saturday, the ceasefire will end and the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) will go back to the fierce fighting until they defeat Hamas,” he said.
Israel would hand Gaza over to the United States after the war, Trump said. “We will not buy anything. We will own it and we will keep it, and we will make sure that there will be peace and there will be no problems, and no one will question it.”
Gazans would disagree with that.
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