King Abdullah II confirmed Jordan will take in 2,000 sick Palestinian children from Gaza but stressed that any broader resettlement plan must wait for Egypt’s response.
Jordan’s King Abdallah II said Tuesday that he would take in 2,000 Palestinian children from Gaza who are very sick or have cancer, in response to US President Donald Trump’s push to relocate residents of the besieged territory.
Trump praised the offer as a “beautiful gesture” and said he was “99%” sure that a broader resettlement plan could be worked out with Egypt and other regional partners. “We’ll have some others helping,” he added.
During a press conference from the Oval Office, King Abdullah responded cautiously to questions about resettling larger numbers of Palestinians, emphasizing the need for a solution that satisfies all parties.
“We have to look at the best interests of the United States, of the people in the region, especially to my people of Jordan,” he said. He declined to comment further, stating, “We have to wait for Egypt to weigh in.”
Trump’s proposal to “own” Gaza and relocate its residents has drawn strong opposition from US allies in the region and world leaders who reiterated their support for a two-state solution.
King Abdullah II of Jordan says he’s open to receiving Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank into his country, but he’s still waiting to see Egypt’s plan and Arab Nations summit resolution.
he’s not only a traitor, but also a useless coward smh.pic.twitter.com/iY6d0umOqx
— 𝕸𝖔𝖓𝖆𝖗𝖈𝖍𝖔 (@_monarcho) February 11, 2025
However, the US president has continued to float the idea, describing Gaza as a “demolition site” and insisting that Palestinians would prefer to leave.
In an interview with Fox News on Monday, Trump stated that those leaving Gaza would not have a right to return and identified Jordan and Egypt as two countries he expects to take in Palestinians.
Last week, however, King Abdullah said in a statement that he rejected any plan to displace Palestinians.
”His Majesty King Abdullah II stresses the need to put a stop to (Israeli) settlement expansion, expressing rejection of any attempts to annex land and displace the Palestinians,” the Jordanian royal court said in a post on X.
Meanwhile, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said in a statement on Monday that there is “full Arab consensus” on rejecting the displacement of Palestinians from their land.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
