Trump Pressures Jordan's King on Gaza Ethnic Cleansing Plan During Meeting

In a phone call with King Abdullah II of Jordan on Saturday, Jan. 25, Trump pushed for Gaza to be “cleaned out” and demanded that Jordan and Egypt handle the refugee crisis that would ensue in such a case of mass expulsion.

Trump also shared a desire for U.S. ownership of Gaza, proposing to turn the Strip into the “Riviera of the Middle East.” Benjamin Netanyahu was by his side, approving of the entire plan. Both Jordan and Egypt have rejected the plan – at least for now. In an attempt to force the two nations' hands, Trump has already proposed withholding financial support. Palestine’s neighbors benefit immensely from U.S. aid. For instance, Jordan was the fourth-highest recipient of U.S. foreign aid in 2023. And, just last week, the Pentagon approved a $300 million weapons sale to Egypt, reports Democracy Now.

Trump believes the current reliance on the U.S. for economic and military aid may influence both nations to cooperate with his administration. However,  an anonymous Jordanian official told Middle East Eye that his country “will not hesitate to forgo” the funds if they’re linked to the forced displacement of Palestinians. Other sources for the Middle East Eye in Amman and Jerusalem stressed that Jordan is prepared for war with Israel if the forced expulsion of 2.3 million Palestinians takes place.

On Tuesday, Feb. 11, King Abdullah II became the first Arab leader to meet with Trump at the White House since his inauguration last month. Although Jordan has previously rejected Trump’s ethnic cleansing plan, the Jordanian King seemed to avoid contradicting Trump during the press briefing after the meeting. 

When given a moment to respond, Abdullah referred to Egypt’s call for an emergency meeting regarding Trump’s comments, saying, “I think the point is, how do we make this work in a way that is good for everybody? Obviously, we have to look at the best interests of the United States, of the people in the region, especially to my people of Jordan.”

Trump has made it clear that he intends to take over Gaza. When asked about Trump’s comments, Palestinians in Gaza stood unified in their response, saying their forced displacement would be “impossible.”

After the meeting with Trump, King Abdullah put forth a statement on X, reiterating Jordan’s stance and priorities. The King reaffirmed his commitment to Jordan, the rebuilding of Gaza for Palestinians, and his support for a two-state solution.

Amid Trump’s ethnic cleansing declaration, the ceasefire deal that was recently accepted by Hamas and the Israeli regime is currently under threat,  due to Israel’s repeated ceasefire violations. 

Israel is still killing Palestinians. It has killed 118 Palestinians since the ceasefire went into effect and has only allowed 8,500 aid trucks to enter Gaza so far, which is only 70% of what was promised under the ceasefire terms and conditions, according to Al Jazeera. Hamas has responded to Israel’s shortcomings, saying it will withhold fulfilling its commitment to the deal until all terms are met. At first, instead of maintaining his part of the deal, Netanyahu threatened to resume heavy bombardment of Gaza.