President Donald Trump said on Saturday he would like to see Jordan, Egypt and other Arab nations increase the number of Palestinian refugees they are accepting from the Gaza Strip.
Mr Trump also floated potentially moving out enough of the population to “just clean out” the war-torn area to create a virtual clean slate.
During a 20-minute question-and-answer session with reporters aboard Air Force One on Saturday, Mr Trump said he discussed his vision on a call earlier in the day with King Abdullah II of Jordan and would speak on Sunday with president Abdel Fattah el-Sissi of Egypt.
Palestinian children play next to a building destroyed by Israeli army strikes in the central Gaza Strip town of Khan Younis (AP/Abdel Kareem Hana)
“I’d like him to take people. I’d like Egypt to take people,” said Mr Trump.
“You’re talking about, probably a million and a half people, and we just clean out that whole thing and say, ‘You know it’s, over.’”
Speaking about the effects of Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza, Mr Trump said he complimented Jordan for having successfully accepted Palestinian refugees and that he told the king: “I’d love for you to take on more, cause I’m looking at the whole Gaza Strip right now, and it’s a mess. It’s a real mess.”
He said of such a mass movement of Palestinians, “it could be temporary or long term”, adding that the area of the world that encompasses Gaza, “over centuries” has “had many, many conflicts”.
Demonstrators protest calling for the immediate release of the hostages held in the Gaza Strip by the Hamas militant group in Tel Aviv (AP/Ohad Zwigenberg)
“Something has to happen,” Mr Trump said.
“But it’s literally a demolition site right now. Almost everything’s demolished, and people are dying there.”
He added: “So, I’d rather get involved with some of the Arab nations, and build housing in a different location, where they can maybe live in peace for a change.”