President Donald Trump, during an interview, explained that Palestinians who will be relocated from the Gaza Strip under his plan to have the federal government administer the region would not be allowed to return.
The president laid out this part of the plan while being interviewed by Fox News’ Brett Baier. When asked about the Gaza plan, Trump said, “People will build beautiful communities, safe communities,” in the area.
The president continued, “Think of it as a real estate development for the future. It would be a beautiful piece of land.”
“Would the Palestinians have the right to return?” Baier asked.
Trump answered:
No, they wouldn't because they're going to have much better housing, much better... In other words, I'm talking about building a permanent place for them because if they have to return now, it'll be years before you could ever... It's not habitable. It will be years before it could happen.
Trump on Gaza: We’ll build beautiful communities for the people of Gaza somewhere else. In the meantime, I’ll own it. Think of it as a real estate development for the future.
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) February 10, 2025
Baier: Would the Palestinians have the right to return to Gaza?
Trump: No, they wouldn’t. pic.twitter.com/bWX0FnqWjH
Trump reiterated his plan to have at least most of the Palestinians relocated to Egypt and Jordan and indicated he was optimistic about cutting a deal with both governments.
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“You know, we give them billions and billions of dollars a year,” he said.
Hamas has balked at the idea. The terrorist group announced that it would delay the release of three Israeli hostages “until further notice.”
The governments of Jordan and Egypt have already rejected Trump’s plan outright.
Arab nations have sharply criticized the Trump proposal, and Trump’s latest words were released a day before he is set to host Jordan’s King Abdullah II at the White House on Tuesday. In addition to concerns about jeopardizing the long-held goals of a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, Egypt and Jordan have privately raised security concerns about welcoming large numbers of additional refugees into their countries even temporarily.
It is not yet clear whether the U.S. would send troops to the region during the relocation. Previously, Trump aides indicated that the move would be temporary and that Palestinians would be allowed to return.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed this during an interview with Fox News. “The actual Idea of allowing for its Gazans who want to leave to leave, I mean, what is wrong with that?” he asked. He further stated that if the Palestinians “can relocate and come back, but you have to rebuild Gaza.”
Meanwhile, Trump seemed to hint that the U.S. might become more involved in the effort to eliminate Hamas. During another interview, he indicated that "we're going to lose our patience" with the terrorist group.
Trump on Gaza: “At some point we're going to lose our patience [with the Palestinians]— when I see that scene that I saw today with [hostages] coming out of helicopters and airplanes that are emaciated, that look like they haven't had a meal in a month — there’s no reason for… pic.twitter.com/YLpFW8kpSr
— Marina Medvin 🇺🇸 (@MarinaMedvin) February 10, 2025
Reactions to Trump’s plan have been mixed. However, several foreign leaders have criticized the idea, arguing that a two-state solution is the best way to resolve the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
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