Jordan's king rejects Trump's Gaza takeover plan

By Jana Choukeir

DUBAI (Reuters) -Jordan's King Abdullah said on Wednesday he rejected any attempts to annex land and displace Palestinians after a shock proposal by President Donald Trump that the U.S. take over Gaza, an issue that strikes a raw nerve in the kingdom.

Trump said on Tuesday that under his plan Palestinians would be resettled elsewhere and Gaza would be developed economically, an idea that elicited widespread international condemnation.

"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.

The issue is especially sensitive for Jordan.

Accepting Trump's plan could further inflame domestic unrest in Jordan, where over a year of protests against Israel's Gaza offensive has highlighted the country's dependence on the U.S. and Israel.

A large portion of Jordan's population, including many Palestinians with Jordanian citizenship and over two million Palestinian refugees, has expressed frustration with the government's reluctance to sever ties with the two countries.

Jordan has long been one of the Middle East's largest recipients of U.S. foreign aid, and this assistance plays a significant role in the country's economic stability and security.

The role, presence, and the future of Palestinians in Jordan is one of the country’s most politically sensitive issues. The government does not release data on how many of its 8 million citizens are of Palestinian descent, although a recent U.S. congressional report estimated the figure at over half.

The Jordanian monarch is scheduled to meet Trump on Feb. 11 at the White House.

Trump said he would back an effort to permanently resettle Palestinians from Gaza after 15 months of devastating war there between its ruling Hamas group and Israel, to places where they can live without fear of violence.

He said he and his team had been discussing this possibility for Gaza, where a ceasefire took effect on Jan. 19, with Jordan, Egypt and other regional countries.

In a press conference, Trump said Jordan's king and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi would come around to the idea despite their opposition.

Trump said they would "open their hearts and will give us the kind of land that we need to get this done and people can live in harmony and in peace."

Late in January, Trump had said that Jordan and Egypt should take more Palestinians from Gaza, where Israel's war against Hamas has caused a dire humanitarian crisis.

Jordan rejected Trump's initial suggestion at the time.

(Reporting by Jana Choukeir; editing by Michael Georgy, Bernadette Baum and Mark Heinrich)