What is the Strategy of Arab Countries in Facing Trump's Plan to Relocate Gazans?

Why does President Trump want to relocate Gazans?

President of the United States Donald Trump stated that the US wants to buy and own the Gaza Strip, then rebuild the enclave after the Palestinian residents are relocated. The area will be developed into a luxurious and attractive region, similar to the Riviera beach in southeastern France. Trump allowed part of the area in Gaza to be rebuilt by countries in the Middle East.

Trump stated that he does not rule out the possibility of deploying US troops to support the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. When asked who would later live in the Gaza Strip, he replied that the place could become a home for "world citizens."

Trump proposed the permanent relocation of Palestinian residents from Gaza to neighboring countries. Trump has mentioned Egypt and Jordan as destinations for the placement of Gaza residents.

He argued that the Gaza area is no longer habitable. There is no place left for Palestinians to live in Gaza. "That place is a site of destruction. What remains will be destroyed. Everything will be destroyed," said Trump.

Trump's plan has already been outrightly rejected by many countries, especially Middle Eastern countries. Trump does not guarantee that the ceasefire in Gaza will hold. The ceasefire began on January 19 to end the 15-month-long fighting between Hamas and Israel in Gaza. In the first phase, the ceasefire lasted for 42 days.

How did Arab countries and Indonesia react to the plan to relocate Gazans?

Several foreign ministers of Arab countries and Palestinian officials have affirmed their rejection of the discourse on relocating the Palestinian people from Gaza. Trump's proposal to relocate Palestinians from Gaza is considered ethnic cleansing.

Five Arab foreign ministers and a senior Palestinian official sent a letter of rejection to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The letter was signed by the foreign ministers of Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as the Palestinian presidential advisor, Hussein al-Sheikh.

Qatar, which acts as a mediator in the Hamas-Israel conflict along with Egypt and the US, emphasized the importance of Palestinians "returning to their homes and homeland." Following the Arab countries, Iran also strongly condemned Trump's proposal to relocate Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to Egypt or Jordan.

Indonesia firmly rejects the idea of forcibly moving Palestinians from Gaza or changing the demographic composition of the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The statement stated that moving Palestinians from Gaza would hinder the realization of an independent and sovereign Palestinian State. In fact, Palestinian independence with borders according to the conditions of 1967 is part of the realization of the Two-State Solution.

"Indonesia calls on the international community to ensure respect for international law, especially the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and the fundamental right to return to their homeland," the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs continued in a statement.

What will Arab countries do?

The Saudi government will continue efforts to establish an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. Riyadh will not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without it. The Arab League also voiced its rejection of Trump's idea. The 22-nation organization said the idea would backfire and cause instability.

Jordan's King Abdullah II, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safiri, and Crown Prince Al-Hussein bin Abdullah II met with Trump and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the White House. They reiterated Jordan's and Arab countries' rejection of Trump's plan to evacuate the Gaza Strip, relocate Palestinians to other areas, and take control of the area.

"This is a united Arab position. Rebuilding Gaza without displacing Palestinians and addressing the dire humanitarian situation must be a priority for all," Abdullah said.

Abdullah said that peace in Palestine and Israel and stability in the region as a whole will only be achieved if all parties ensure a just two-state solution. He also reminded of the importance of de-escalation and not the opposite, which is counterproductive, including in the West Bank.

However, for humanitarian reasons, the Jordanian government will open its doors to at least 2,000 Palestinian children who need medical care, especially cancer or other chronic diseases. In addition, as reported by Petra, Abdullah said his country and several Arab countries will submit a long-term plan for Gaza that is believed to accommodate all parties.

Regardless of Abdullah and the Arab states' stances and views, Trump said, Jordan and Egypt would eventually agree to take in displaced Gazans. Both countries rely on the U.S. for economic and military aid. Trump feels he has the upper hand.

How is the progress of the second phase of continued ceasefire negotiations?

The smooth process of release and exchange of hostages is not a guarantee that the negotiation process for the second phase of ceasefire will run smoothly. The process of the second phase of ceasefire talks is expected to be held this week. However, until now there are no details regarding the status of the talks.

Hamas political bureau member Basem Naim said Hamas was actually ready to start the second phase of dialogue last Monday. However, Israel decided to postpone it. Until now, it is uncertain when the dialogue for the second phase of the ceasefire agreement will begin.

Naim said the ceasefire agreement was very fragile. Unlike Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's attitude, who still intends to continue the war, the Palestinian fighters, Naim stressed, do not want to fight again.

Netanyahu has signaled that Israel could resume the war at any time even though there are still Israeli hostages who have not been released and the US supports this plan. Trump's idea of relocating Gazans could complicate the second phase of ceasefire negotiations. The agenda of the second phase of the ceasefire is the release of the remaining Israeli hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli troops and the end of the war.

What will happen if further negotiations fail?

Under the first phase of the ceasefire agreement, Israeli forces withdrew from the Netzarim Corridor that divides Gaza. Since the early months of the war, Israeli forces have occupied the 6-kilometer corridor south of Gaza City. The corridor, which serves as a military zone, stretches from the Israeli border to the Mediterranean Sea and divides Gaza in two.

As Israel exits, thousands of Palestinians who fled southern Gaza have already passed through the corridor to return to their homes in northern Gaza. Talks on a second phase of the ceasefire are due to begin on February 3, 2025. The outcome of the talks is expected to be the release of more hostages and a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

Israel has said it will not agree to a full withdrawal from Gaza until Hamas's military and political capabilities are eliminated, while Hamas says it will not hand over the last hostage until Israel withdraws all its forces from Gaza.

Hamas announced on Monday (10/2/2025) that it would stop releasing further Israeli hostages until further notice. This decision was taken because of violations by Israel of the ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip.

After the announcement, in Washington, Trump threatened a “catastrophic situation” in the Gaza Strip if all Israeli hostages were not released within the next few days. He also called for an end to the ceasefire if the hostages were not freed by Saturday (2/15/2025) afternoon.

If no agreement is reached on implementing the second phase of the ceasefire, the war in Gaza could erupt again in early March 2025.