President Trump said he would like to see other nations, like Jordan and Egypt, take in Palestinian refugees to “clean out” the area.
Aboard Air Force One Saturday, Mr. Trump told reporters that the Gaza Strip is a “real mess” and that he told King Abdullah II of Jordan that he was glad that the country had taken refugees but wishes it would take more.
“I’d love for you to take on more, cause I’m looking at the whole Gaza Strip right now, and it’s a mess,” he said he told the king. “It’s a real mess.”
He said he spoke with the king of Jordan on Saturday and will speak with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi on Sunday.
“I’d like Egypt to take people,” Mr. Trump said. “You’re talking about probably a million and a half people, and we just clean out that whole thing and say, ‘You know, it’s over.’”
He noted that the Middle East has “had many, many conflicts,” and “something has to happen.”
“It’s literally a demolition site. Almost everything’s demolished, and people are dying there,” the president said. “So, I’d rather get involved with some of the Arab nations, and build housing in a different location, where they can maybe live in peace for a change.”
He said the relocation housing could be temporary or long-term.
This discussion comes after a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas was made earlier this month. The three-part plan mirrors the plan former President Joseph R. Biden announced last year.
Mr. Trump also said aboard the flight that he ended the hold on sending 2,000-pound bombs to Israel. Mr. Biden had put a hold on the weapons.
“We released them today,” he said, adding that “they’ve been waiting for them for a long time.”
When asked why he released them, Mr. Trump said it was “because they bought them.”
Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Mr. Trump on Sunday for sending the bombs and “keeping your promise to give Israel the tools it needs to defend itself, to confront our common enemies and to secure a future of peace and prosperity.”
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.