Trump Repeats ‘Ownership’ Of Gaza, Sparks Outrage
Donald Trump has declared that Palestinians in Gaza will have no right to return under his proposed plan for US “ownership” of the war-ravaged enclave, contradicting officials in his own administration who had framed the idea as a temporary measure. His comments, aired in a FOX News interview on Monday, have ignited widespread condemnation across the Arab world.
Arab nations had already reacted with outrage after Trump first floated his plan last week, suggesting that the US could take control of Gaza and transform it into “the Riviera of the Middle East.” He has also increased pressure on Jordan and Egypt—both key US allies—to absorb displaced Palestinians, a proposal that has been met with fierce resistance. On Monday, Trump went even further, stating definitively that Palestinians would not be allowed to return to the territory. When asked about their right of return, he replied bluntly, “No, they wouldn’t.”
Egypt and Jordan had already made clear their opposition to any plan involving the mass displacement of Palestinians. The Egyptian Foreign Ministry reiterated on Sunday that it rejects any proposal that would relocate Palestinians outside their homeland, warning that such actions threaten “the foundations of stability” in the Middle East. Cairo reaffirmed that a two-state solution, with East Jerusalem as the capital of an independent Palestine, remains the only path to “comprehensive and just peace.”
Jordan, which has historically absorbed waves of Palestinian refugees, has also been vocal in rejecting Trump’s ideas. King Abdullah II is set to meet Trump at the White House on Tuesday, but officials in Amman have privately warned that any US-backed push to force Palestinians into Jordan is unacceptable.
Saudi Arabia has also taken a strong stance against Trump’s suggestions. Yousef bin Trad al-Saadoun, a member of the Saudi Shura Council, ridiculed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposal that a Palestinian state be established in Saudi territory. In an article published on Friday in the Saudi newspaper *Okaz*, al-Saadoun suggested that if Trump truly believed in forced relocations, he should “relocate Israelis to Alaska and later to Greenland after annexing it.” He accused Washington of promoting “ethnic cleansing” under the guise of diplomacy and dismissed the idea that Arab states would bow to external pressure.
Hamas has also condemned Trump’s remarks, warning that any plan to expel Palestinians from Gaza will fail. Izzat al-Rishq, a senior member of Hamas’ political bureau, blasted Trump for treating the Palestinian issue as a real estate deal. “Dealing with the Palestinian cause with the mentality of a property dealer is a recipe for failure,” he said in a statement on Monday.
Trump’s plan remains vague and contradictory. While he has suggested deploying US troops to “secure” Gaza, he also insists that Washington will not spend money on its reconstruction. His administration has scrambled to clarify his statements, with officials such as White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt and Secretary of State Marco Rubio maintaining that any Palestinian relocation would be “temporary.”
In response to the growing crisis, Egypt has announced an emergency Arab League summit on 27 February to discuss what it called “new and dangerous developments.” The summit will bring together leaders from across the region to formulate a collective response to Trump’s proposals, which threaten to inflame an already volatile situation. Despite the overwhelming rejection of his plan, Trump insists that Arab nations will eventually accept it. However, his comments risk not only deepening tensions in the region but also undermining fragile ceasefire efforts between Israel and Hamas.
