"Nothing To Acquire, We'll Seize It": Trump Reaffirms Gaza Acquisition Strategy
The strategy by the US President to "possess" Gaza and place it under "American control" encountered resistance from King Abdullah II of Jordan, who shared that Egypt was developing a strategy for how regional nations might "collaborate" with Trump regarding his surprising proposal.
On Tuesday (local time), President Donald Trump reinforced his assertion that the United States would "possess" the Gaza Strip by relocating the 2.2 million Palestinians residing there to nearby nations during his meeting with King Abdullah II, one of America's closest allies in the Middle East.
"We're going to have Gaza. We don’t need to buy it. There's nothing to purchase. We will have Gaza... We're going to take it, maintain it, and value it," Trump informed journalists in the Oval Office alongside the Jordanian King.
However, Trump, who gained wealth as a property developer, stated that he did not intend to personally undertake real estate developments in Gaza. "No. I've enjoyed a successful career in real estate," he remarked.
Previously, Trump had indicated that his intention to "seize Gaza" would not permit a right of return for uprooted Palestinians, but he now mentioned that the repurposed land would be for people in the Middle East.
The US President's initiative to "possess" Gaza under "American oversight" faced challenges from Abdullah II, who mentioned that Egypt was crafting a plan for how regional nations could "collaborate" with Trump on his startling idea.
"I reaffirmed Jordan's unwavering stance against the displacement of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. This reflects the united Arab stand. Reconstructing Gaza without displacing its Palestinians and addressing the critical humanitarian crisis should be prioritized by everyone," Abdullah stated on social media following their discussions.
Trump has suggested multiple times that surrounding nations, like Jordan and Egypt, could accommodate the population of Gaza. "We will be in Saudi Arabia to talk about how we can partner with the President and the United States. Let's allow the Egyptians to come forward and present their plan to the President without jumping ahead," Abdullah remarked.
The Jordanian king seemed to present a proposal to appease Trump, who had pondered on the day prior to the visit the possibility of restricting US aid to Jordan if it didn’t accept refugees.
"One immediate action we can take is to bring in 2,000 children with cancer who are in critical condition. That can be arranged," Abdullah said as Trump greeted him and Crown Prince Hussein in the Oval Office.
Trump responded, acknowledging it as "truly a lovely gesture" and mentioned that he was unaware of this before Abdullah's visit to the White House.
The US President also stepped back from his earlier stance about potentially halting aid to Jordan and Egypt, asserting: "I don’t need to make such threats. I believe we are above that."
