US President Donald Trump has suggested relocating Gazans to Arab countries such as Egypt and Jordan.
He described the Gaza Strip as a “demolition site” following Israeli bombardments.
“I’d rather get involved with some of the Arab nations and build housing at a different location where they can maybe live in peace for a change,” Trump said.
He added that moving Gaza’s residents could be done “temporarily or could be long term”.
Trump said he had already spoken to Jordan’s King Abdullah II about his idea and planned to speak to Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi today. Both Egypt and Jordan have previously rejected such proposals.
Both Hamas and Islamic Jihad, an extremist group which fought in Gaza, have firmly rejected the plans.
“Our Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip endured death and destruction for 15 months in the biggest crime known to humanity in the 21st Century, without leaving their land and homeland,” Bassem Naim, a member of the Hamas political bureau, tells the BBC.
“Therefore, they will not accept any offers or solutions, even if they appear to be good intentions under the title of reconstruction, as announced by US President Trump’s proposals.”
