President Donald Trump of the United States on Tuesday pressed Jordan's King Abdullah to take in Palestinians who would be permanently displaced under the president's plan for the US to take over the Gaza Strip.
The king, however, said his country was firmly opposed to the move.
Trump, while speaking alongside the Arab country's ruler in the White House, signaled that he would not budge on his idea that involves moving the Gaza Strip's shell-shocked residents and transforming the war-ravaged territory into what he billed a "Riviera of the Middle East."
The Arab world was enraged by Trump's statement that Palestinians would not be able to return to their homes under his proposal to redevelop the enclave, which has been devastated by an Israeli offensive.
"We're going to take it. We're going to hold it, we're going to cherish it. We're going to get it going eventually, where a lot of jobs are going to be created for the people in the Middle East," Trump said.
King Abdullah later said that he reiterated to Trump Jordan's steadfast position against the displacement of Palestinians in Gaza, as well as in the occupied West Bank that borders his country.
"This is the unified Arab position. Rebuilding Gaza without displacing the Palestinians and addressing the dire humanitarian situation should be the priority for all," he said in a post on X.
Despite the views of his Jordanian counterpart, Trump said Jordan, as well as Egypt, would ultimately agree to house displaced residents of Gaza.
Trump, who has suggested he could consider withholding aid to Jordan, said he was not using support as a threat.
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