Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and Jordanian King Abdullah agreed that Gaza should be rebuilt without displacing Palestinians, Egypt’s presidency said Wednesday after their phone call.
U.S. President Donald Trump has continued to push for an unlawful and inhumane plan to displace the Palestinian population to both Egypt and Jordan, a proposal both countries have rejected repeatedly.
The two leaders reaffirmed the Egyptian-Jordanian position, emphasizing the full implementation of the cease-fire agreement in Gaza, the continued release of hostages and detainees, and the facilitation of humanitarian aid deliveries to alleviate suffering in the besieged enclave, said a readout of their phone conversation released by the Egyptian Presidency.
The call followed King Abdullah’s meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington.
Additionally, they underscored the necessity of immediate reconstruction efforts in Gaza while ensuring that Palestinians remain in their homeland.
Both leaders also vowed to work closely with Trump to achieve lasting peace in the Middle East, advocating for a path that leads to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
While hosting the Jordanian King at the White House, Trump said Tuesday that he would “take” Gaza under U.S. authority and develop it with hotels, office buildings, and other infrastructure.
Israel has turned Gaza into the world’s largest open-air prison, maintaining an 18-year blockade and forcing nearly 2 million of its 2.3 million residents into displacement amid dire shortages of food, water, and medicine due to deliberate restrictions.
Meanwhile, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Wednesday called proposals to displace Palestinians from Gaza to Egypt and Jordan “imaginary.”
“I find this talk outrageous,” Salam told the Lebanese state television.
“Not only is the idea of transferring the people of Gaza to Egypt and Jordan an imaginary issue, but transferring them to the West Bank is outrageous and unacceptable – morally, politically, and legally.”
The Lebanese premier called for “more Arab solidarity to abort these projects and prevent their implementation.”
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun also reiterated his country’s rejection of any plans to relocate Palestinians from their land.
Speaking during a meeting with Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel in Beirut, Aoun opposed any proposals “to displace Palestinians from their land or infringe upon their legitimate rights, as enshrined in U.N. resolutions.”
According to a statement from his office, Aoun also emphasized the importance of the Arab Peace Initiative adopted in 2002 for establishing peace in the region.
The Saudi-proposed initiative offers Israel full diplomatic recognition from the Arab states in return for an Israeli withdrawal from Arab lands.
The proposals for Palestinian displacement come amid a ceasefire agreement that took effect in Gaza on Jan. 19, suspending Israel’s genocidal war, which has killed more than 48,200 Palestinians and left the enclave in ruins.
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