Jordan King rejects plans to displace Palestinians, annex West Bank
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Jordanian King Abdullah II rejects the American plans to take over Gaza and ethnically cleanse its population amid plans to displace them to Jordan and Egypt.
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Jordan's King Abdullah attends a meeting with Cyprus' President Nikos Christodoulides at the Presidential Palace in the capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Nov. 27, 2024 (AP)
Jordan’s King Abdullah II reaffirmed his firm opposition to Israeli settlement expansion and any attempts to annex land or displace Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank during a phone call with Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, on Wednesday.
The two leaders discussed the latest developments in Gaza, the West Bank, and Syria, with King Abdullah emphasizing the need for Palestinian unity and intensified Arab and international efforts to sustain the ceasefire in Gaza and bolster humanitarian relief efforts in the besieged enclave.
They also stressed the importance of supporting Syria while preserving its unity, sovereignty, and stability amid ongoing regional challenges.
Meanwhile, Axios reported on Tuesday that the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Egypt, and Jordan, along with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s advisor, Hussein Al-Sheikh, sent a joint letter to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The letter expressed strong opposition to any plans for the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza and called for Palestinian participation in the reconstruction process of the territory.
After US President Donald Trump introduced his "takeover" scheme for the Gaza Strip, which entails the forced displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians recovering from the 15-month-long Israeli genocide, a wave of backlash swept the political scene as world leaders condemned and rejected the plot.
Trump predicted the war-ravaged Gaza Strip, home to more than two million Palestinians, could become "the Riviera of the Middle East" as he announced his plan to seize the territory, even if it entails the ethnic cleansing of around 2.4 million people.
"The Riviera of the Middle East. This could be something that could be so magnificent," Trump said at a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at which he again voiced hopes that Palestinians could be forced out of their homeland and said the United States would redevelop the territory.
Widespread criticism
Palestinian officials and factions have rejected and denounced Trump’s recent remarks, calling them a reflection of "ignorance" and an "unwavering alignment" with Israeli interests.
This comes shortly after Trump pushed for Washignton's "takeover" of the Gaza Strip, during a joint news conference held with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"The US will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it, too. We'll own it. And be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on this site," Trump said.
The statement emphasized that Hamas and the Palestinian people would never allow any entity to occupy their land or impose external governance.
The group reaffirmed its commitment to establishing a Palestinian state with al-Quds as its capital, calling for international bodies like the United Nations, the Arab League, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to urgently address the situation.
Scheme to eliminate the Palestinian cause
Hamas spokesperson Abdel Latif al-Qanou also condemned Trump’s proposal, warning that it was part of a broader scheme to "eliminate the Palestinian cause."
"This is a desperate attempt to wipe out our just cause," he said, calling Trump’s rhetoric "dangerous" and aligned with the agenda of "Israel’s" far-right government.
Al-Qanou insisted that Palestinians would never accept forced removal from their homeland. "The people who have withstood the most brutal military assaults for 15 months, facing the world’s most lethal army, will not surrender," he said. "No matter the cost, they will remain steadfast on their land."
