Trump's Gaza Proposal Revives Colonialism, Jordan's King Abdullah II Firmly Rejects

WASHINGTON, WEDNESDAY — King Abdullah II of Jordan expressed his rejection of United States President Donald Trump's plan to evacuate the Gaza Strip, relocate Palestinian residents to other areas, and take control of the territory. Dozens of independent experts from the United Nations described Trump's plan as a blatant violation of international law and a return to the dark era of colonialism.

However, Trump remained unmoved. Due to the substantial aid that the US has provided to several countries, including Jordan and Egypt, Trump felt confident.

Trump, accompanied by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, met with King Abdullah II and Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safidi as well as Crown Prince Al-Hussein bin Abdullah II for nearly two hours at the White House, Washington DC, USA, on Tuesday (11/2/2025). In the meeting, as reported by the Petra news agency, Abdullah reiterated his country's and Arab nations' rejection of Trump's plan to evacuate Gaza.

"I reiterate Jordan's firm stance against the relocation of Palestinian residents in Gaza and the West Bank. This is a united Arab position. Rebuilding Gaza without relocating Palestinian residents and addressing the dire humanitarian situation must be a priority for all," said Abdullah.

Abdullah stated that peace in Palestine and Israel, as well as overall stability in the region, will only be achieved if all parties ensure the attainment of a just two-state solution. He also reminded the importance of de-escalation and not counterproductive actions, including in the West Bank.

"I also emphasize the importance of working towards de-escalation in the West Bank and preventing the worsening of the situation there, which could have widespread impacts on the entire region," said Abdullah.

Although, for humanitarian reasons, the Jordanian government will open its doors to at least 2,000 Palestinian children in need of medical treatment, particularly for cancer or other chronic diseases. Additionally, as reported by Petra, Abdullah also mentioned that his country and several Arab countries will propose a long-term plan for Gaza, which is believed to accommodate all parties.

Trump's desire to evacuate Gaza, which is now in a very devastated condition after the destruction of the area by Israel, has been rejected by many parties. Dozens of independent experts working for the PBB stated on Monday that the evacuation and takeover by purchasing Palestinian land in Gaza would set the world back, entering an era of brutal law violations and new colonialism.

“Such a flagrant violation by a superpower would break the global taboo on military aggression and embolden other predatory states to seize foreign territory. The consequences of this would be devastating for global peace and human rights,” the experts said in a joint statement, reported by Saudi media outlet Arab News.

Among the experts who issued statements were Ben Saul, special rapporteur on human rights and counter-terrorism; Francesca Albanese, special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory; and George Katrougalos, independent expert on a democratic and just international order.

They added that forcing through Trump’s proposal would destroy the most fundamental rules of the international order and the United Nations Charter since 1945, which was created by the US to restore peace after World War II and the Holocaust. “It would return the world to the dark days of colonial conquest,” they said.

They also underlined the blatant violation of the law to invade and seize foreign lands by force; forcibly displace residents; and deny the Palestinian people their fundamental right to self-determination, which includes making Gaza part of a sovereign Palestinian state.

“Such violations would replace the rule of international law and the stability it brings with “the strongest [individuals or groups] who do not respect the law,” the experts said.

Albanese and the experts warned that mass deportations of civilians from the occupied territories are classified as war crimes under the 1949 Geneva Convention. "The US proposal would accelerate the forced displacement of Palestinians from their land, which began in the 1947-48 Nakba, and has since included home demolitions, displacement, destruction and theft of natural resources, and the criminal construction of illegal Israeli colonial settlements," they said.

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 Washington for economic and military aid. Trump feels he has the upper hand.

"I'm sure we'll have a piece of land in Jordan. I'm sure we'll have a piece of land in Egypt," Trump said. "We may have other places, but I think when we get through our talks, we'll have a place where they'll live very happily and very safely."

During the meeting, the two leaders were cordial with each other. However, Trump's remarks on Gaza and economic aid for Jordan have put Abdullah in an awkward position.

Jordanian government officials said before the meeting that they wanted to avoid any public statements that Trump could use to discredit Abdullah. The remarks in the Oval Office after the meeting were also said to have been unplanned.

Trump did not care. He said the plan to rebuild Gaza would bring a new economy not only to Palestine and Israel, but also to the Middle East. According to estimates, it would take about 53 billion US dollars to rebuild Gaza.

"We're going to take it. We're going to defend it, we're going to honor it. Ultimately, we're going to make it happen where a lot of jobs are going to be created for people in the Middle East," Trump said in the Oval Office.

Jordan is now sandwiched between Saudi Arabia, Syria, Israel and the occupied West Bank. Currently, half of Jordan's population of 11 million are of Palestinian origin. Since the Nakba of 1948, many Palestinians have sought refuge in Jordan.

In 1970, in what became known as "Black September," clashes erupted between Jordanian troops and Palestinian resistance groups organized by the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). As a result of the incident, the Palestinian resistance groups were expelled from Jordan.

Amman is also reeling from Trump's 90-day aid cut. Israel and Egypt have been granted waivers. But the fate of the $1.45 billion in U.S. aid Jordan receives annually remains frozen pending a Trump administration review of all foreign aid. (AP/AFP/Reuters)