Jordan King Abdullah rejects Trump plan to expel Palestinians from Gaza

Trump greets Jordan’s King Abdullah II as he arrive for a meeting at the West Wing of the White House in Washington, DC, February 11, 2025. (Photo/AFP)

Jordan's King Abdullah II has told Donald Trump that Arab nations were united in opposition to the US president's controversial plan to seize Gaza and ethnically cleanse Palestinians.

"I reiterated Jordan's steadfast position against the displacement of Palestinians in Gaza and the [occupied] West Bank," Abdullah said on social media after talks at the White House on Tuesday.

"This is the unified Arab position."

Rebuilding Gaza without displacing the Palestinians and addressing the dire humanitarian situation should be the priority for all, he said.

The Jordanian leader said he had "a constructive meeting" with Trump and they discussed Jordan's longstanding partnership with the US.

He said achieving a just peace on the basis of a two-state solution is the way to ensure regional stability.

"This requires US leadership. President Trump is a man of peace. He was instrumental in securing the Gaza ceasefire. We look to US and all stakeholders in ensuring it holds," he wrote.

"I also stressed the importance of working towards de-escalation in the West Bank and preventing a deterioration of the situation there that could have far-reaching implications for the entire region," said Abdullah.

"We will continue to play an active role with our partners to reach a just and comprehensive peace for everyone in the region."

Trump said during his meeting that he would "take" besieged Gaza under US authority, insisting that he will implement his widely panned proposal to take ownership of Gaza.

"We're going to run it very properly," he said.

Egypt's plan

Earlier, speaking with media, he said that Egypt would present a plan on working with Trump over his plan.

President Trump "is looking at Egypt coming to present that plan. As I said, we will be in Saudi Arabia to discuss how we should work with the president and with the United States."

"Let's wait until the Egyptians can come and present it to the president."

The pair met in the Oval Office with Secretary of State Marco Rubio also on-hand. The US president suggested he wouldn't withhold US aid to Jordan or Egypt if they don't agree to dramatically increase the number of people from Gaza they take in.

Abdullah was asked about Trump's plan to occupy Gaza and overhaul it as a resort on the Mediterranean Sea — but didn't make substantive comments on it while also not committing to the idea that his country could accept large numbers of new refugees from Gaza.

He did say, however, that Jordan would be willing "right away" to take as many as 2,000 children in Gaza who are suffering from cancer or otherwise ill.

"I finally see somebody that can take us across the finish line to bring stability, peace and prosperity to all of us in the region," the king said of Trump in his statement at the top of the meeting.

Abdullah left the White House after about two hours and was headed to Capitol Hill to meet with a bipartisan group of lawmakers.

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Source: TRT