Clashing reports: Did Trump, Sisi discuss moving refugees from Gaza?
3 Min Read
While news outlets allege that Trump and Sisi discussed Trump's plan to displace Palestinians from Gaza in a recent call, Egyptian sources rebuke all reports.
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In this April 9, 2019 file photo, President Donald Trump meets with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. (AP)
The Jerusalem Post, among other media outlets, reported that US President Donald Trump proposed displacing Palestinians from Gaza to Egypt and Jordan yet again in a conversation with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
Reportedly, on Monday evening, when speaking with the Egyptian leader, Trump suggested that Egypt take in Palestinians once more. Although the Egyptian and Jordanian governments previously rejected the proposal, Trump assumed that both would eventually adhere.
"I've helped him a lot, and I hope he'll help us. I think he'll take in Palestinians from Gaza, and the King of Jordan will do the same," he allegedly said.
However, an informed Egyptian source refuted that any phone call between the US and Egyptian presidents occurred, relaying to Al-Qahera News that any phone call made by Sisi would be announced per the standard protocol followed for heads of state, especially when it pertains to a call of this level and at such a critical time for the Middle East region.
This is particularly significant in light of the exceptional relations that unite the presidents of the two countries, the source said.
Trump recently suggested a controversial plan to "just clean out" Gaza through the mass expulsion of its population to neighboring Egypt and Jordan, framing the proposal as a step toward "Middle East peace."
"I'd like Egypt to take people. And I'd like Jordan to take people," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.
Separately, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and King Abdullah II of Jordan held a call on Monday but did not discuss Trump's plot for Gaza. Instead, the implementation of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, the release of captives and prisoners, and building a pathway for security and stability in the region were on the agenda, an official statement revealed.
Jordanian, Egyptian officials refuse 'influx of refugees'
A Washington Post report, published on Monday, said Trump's remarks, seen as impulsive rather than a calculated policy, alarmed Arab leaders who had been cautiously optimistic about cooperating with his administration.
From an Arab perspective, the forced deportation of Palestinians is a deeply destabilizing move that could inflame tensions and threaten the stability of moderate governments across the region.
That said, Trump enjoys being a disruptor, which is described as "tossing a grenade," according to The Washington Post.
Trump's comments came after a conversation with King Abdullah who looks forward to cooperating with Trump, but not destabilizing his country with a "new influx of refugees," according to WP.
In turn, Jordan’s Foreign Minister, Ayman Safadi, stated that Jordan’s opposition to the displacement of Palestinians is "firm and will not change."
Additionally, the Egyptian Embassy shared a 2023 statement by its ambassador, Motaz Zahran, on Sunday, asserting that “Egypt cannot be part of any solution involving the transfer of Palestinians into Sinai.”
The report suggested that even Trump’s Arab supporters were "dismayed".
“We categorically reject the president’s suggestion that the Palestinians in Gaza be moved — apparently forcefully — to either Egypt or Jordan,” said Bishara Bahbah, chairman of Arab Americans for Trump. “We don’t need wildish claims or statements relating to the fate of the Palestinians.”
Read more: Smotrich says working on implementing Trump plan to expel Gazans
