King Abdullah II of Jordan said Tuesday that Arab nations are unified in their opposition to displacing Palestinians from Gaza, following a meeting with President Trump in which the president reiterated his plans for Palestinians to move elsewhere while the U.S. rebuilds Gaza.
“I stressed that my foremost commitment is to Jordan, to its stability and to the well-being of Jordanians,” Abdullah posted on X after departing the White House.
“I reiterated Jordan’s steadfast position against the displacement of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. This is the unified Arab position,” he continued. “Rebuilding Gaza without displacing the Palestinians and addressing the dire humanitarian situation should be the priority for all.”
Abdullah described Trump as a “man of peace” and said he was “instrumental in securing the Gaza ceasefire. We look to US and all stakeholders in ensuring it holds.”
“We will continue to play an active role with our partners to reach a just and comprehensive peace for everyone in the region,” he wrote.
Abdullah’s comments deal a blow to Trump, who has for the past week been pushing a vision for the U.S. to take control of the Gaza Strip and rebuild it while Palestinians move elsewhere in the region.
Trump met in the Oval Office earlier Tuesday with Abdullah. Trump remained adamant that Palestinians did not even want to live in Gaza and would relocate to Jordan, Egypt and elsewhere. And he insisted the United States would “have” Gaza, while offering few specifics on how it would acquire the territory without spending any money or deploying troops.
“We’re not going to have to buy. We’re going to have Gaza. We don’t have to buy. There’s nothing to buy. We will have Gaza,” Trump told reporters. “It’s a war-torn area. We’re going to take it, we’re going to hold it, we’re going to cherish it…It’s going to be for the people in the Middle East. But I think it could be a diamond.”
One aspect of Trump’s plan that has run into stiff opposition in the Arab world is his declaration that Palestinians would relocate to Jordan and Egypt while Gaza is rebuilt. He has also offered mixed signals about the long-term fate of Palestinians.
On Tuesday, Trump was again insistent that Palestinians did not want to live in Gaza.
“It’s not where I want them to live, it’s going to be where we ultimately choose as a group. And I believe we’ll have a parcel of land in Jordan. I believe we’ll have a parcel of land in Egypt. We may have some place else,” Trump said. “But when we finish our talks they’re going to have a place where they live very happily and very safely.”
“They don’t want to be in the Gaza Strip. But they have no choice. They have to be,” Trump added.
The king of Jordan sought to temper expectations around Trump’s proposal during their meeting, saying Egypt and other Arab nations expect to present a proposal to the United States.
“This is something that we as Arabs will be coming to the United States with something that we’re going to talk about later to discuss all these options,” Abdullah said.
Leaders in the region have said efforts to displace Palestinians or move them into neighboring countries are a nonstarter. Egypt and Jordan — countries with peace treaties with Israel — oppose absorbing more Palestinians, claiming it poses a security risk, is destabilizing and threatens to provoke mass opposition.
Jordan already houses about 3 million Palestinians, many of whom have been displaced by prior wars.
Abdullah on Tuesday said Jordan would take in 2,000 sick Palestinian children, which Trump praised as a “beautiful gesture.”
