Displaced Palestinians return to their homes in the northern Gaza as part of the ceasefire agreement on January 29, 2025. Photo by Khalil Kahlout/Flash90
Arab leaders and foreign ministers released a collective statement Saturday rejecting Trump’s request to take in Palestinians from Gaza. This comes after Trump made an appeal for Egypt and Jordan to allow Gazans to seek refuge in their countries while Gaza is rebuilt – which officials estimate will take many years or even decades.
The Arab ministers met on Saturday in Cairo and stated they would not allow the displaced Palestinians to enter “under any circumstances or justifications.”
According to the Times of Israel, following their meeting this weekend, “The foreign ministers and officials from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the Palestinian Authority and the Arab League said they were looking forward to working with Trump’s administration to achieve a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East, based on a two-state solution.”
The leaders rejected any “infringement of the inalienable rights” of Palestinians, including these potential violations: settlement [by Israelis], expulsion, home demolitions, annexation, depopulation of the land of its people through displacement, or the transfer or the uprooting of Palestinians from their land.
The statement cautioned that these plans jeopardize the region’s stability, increase the risk of conflict and “weaken the chances for peace and coexistence among its people.”
Despite repeated refusals from both Egypt and Jordan, Trump insisted that because the U.S. “does so much for them,” they would ultimately comply. On Thursday, he issued a statement expressing strong confidence that these two countries bordering Israel would step in to help Gaza’s civilians find refuge while the Strip undergoes reconstruction.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu departed Israel this morning, accompanied by a small delegation, for the United States, where discussions will resume with President Trump on phase two of the hostage release ceasefire agreement .
Netanyahu’s visit is historic, as he becomes the first international leader to be invited to the White House during the president’s new term.
Trump’s newly appointed Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, who has been on a week-long diplomatic tour of the region, including a visit to Gaza as part of his broader trip to Israel, told Axios on Thursday that there is “almost nothing left” and that rebuilding the war-torn area could take 10 to 15 years.
Additionally, a recent assessment by the United Nations revealed that “clearing over 50 million tons of rubble left in the aftermath of Israel’s military campaign could take 21 years and cost as much as $1.2 billion.” The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry also estimates that 10,000 bodies remain buried under the rubble.