President Donald Trump escalated diplomatic tensions Tuesday by suggesting he might cut US aid to Jordan and Egypt if they reject his proposed Gaza development strategy, ABC News reported.
Trump hosted Jordan's King Abdullah at the White House – marking the first visit by an Arab leader since Trump returned to office last month. When asked about securing the king's support for his Palestinian plan, Trump called Abdullah "a good man."
The president's ambitious proposal envisions relocating close to 2 million Palestinians from Gaza to create what he describes as "the Riviera of the Middle East."
Despite Jordan already hosting millions of registered Palestinian refugees, the Jordanian royal court stated on X: "His Majesty King Abdullah II stresses the need to put a stop to settlement expansion, expressing rejection of any attempts to annex land and displace the Palestinians."
The president dismissed regional opposition to his plan. "If they don't agree, I would conceivably withhold aid," Trump told reporters Monday night.
When asked if Palestinians could return after reconstruction, Trump answered in a Fox News interview aired Monday, "No, they wouldn't, because they're going to have much better housing. I'm talking about building a permanent place for them."
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to visit Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia this week. During recent Central America meetings, Rubio suggested Gazans would need alternative housing "in the interim" when questioned about their return.
