The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has proposed a strategy to “just clean out” Gaza, expressing his desire for Egypt and Jordan to accept Palestinians from the area as a tenuous truce between Israel and Hamas, aiming for a lasting resolution to the conflict, marks its second week.
The ceasefire agreement initiated on January 19 resulted in the release of four Israeli hostages and approximately 200 Palestinian prisoners, celebrated with joy following the second exchange of this nature.
After 15 months of conflict, Mr. Trump described Gaza as a “demolition site” and mentioned discussions with King Abdullah II of Jordan regarding the relocation of Palestinians from the region.
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The majority of Gazans are either Palestinian refugees or their descendants.
For Palestinians, any endeavor to relocate them from Gaza would trigger painful historical associations with what the Arab community refers to as the “Nakba” or catastrophe – the extensive displacement of Palestinians during the establishment of Israel 75 years ago.
Displaced Palestinians wait at the Netzarim Corridor, which separates the north of Gaza from the south
Egypt has previously cautioned against any “forced displacement” of Palestinians into the Sinai Peninsula, with President Sisi warning that such actions could threaten the peace accord Egypt established with Israel in 1979.
Jordan currently hosts approximately 2.3 million registered Palestinian refugees, as reported by the United Nations.
“You’re looking at potentially a million and a half individuals who would need to be relocated, and we just clean out the entire region,” Mr. Trump stated regarding Gaza’s population of about 2.4 million, adding that “something must be done.”
“I’d prefer to engage with some of the Arab nations to construct housing in an alternative location where they could perhaps live peacefully for a change,” Mr. Trump noted, suggesting that relocating Gaza’s residents could be “temporary or long-term.”
A senior official from Hamas indicated that the militant group would resist Mr. Trump’s proposal.
“Just as they have thwarted every plan for resettlement and alternative homelands over the decades, our people will also thwart such initiatives,” said Bassem Naim, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, referencing Mr. Trump’s remarks.
The vast majority of Gaza’s population has experienced displacement, often multiple times, due to the ongoing conflict that erupted following Hamas’s attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
Israel’s war in Gaza has led to a dire humanitarian crisis
Mr. Trump’s new administration has pledged “unwavering support” for Israel but has yet to outline its detailed Middle East strategy.
He confirmed he ordered the Pentagon to release a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel, which had been blocked by his predecessor, Joe Biden.
As Israel and Hamas completed their second hostage-prisoner exchange as part of the ceasefire agreement, a last-minute dispute impeded the expected return of hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians to the devastated northern Gaza.
Israel announced it would prevent Palestinians from traveling to the north until a civilian woman hostage, whom the Prime Minister’s office claimed “was scheduled for release” yesterday, is set free.
A source from Hamas informed AFP that the woman, Arbel Yehud, will be “released as part of the third swap planned for next Saturday.”
Following an initial phase lasting 42 days, the second phase of the agreement is intended to facilitate discussions for a permanent resolution to the conflict, although analysts have cautioned that it may collapse due to the multi-phase nature of the deal and the profound distrust between Israel and Hamas.
A young man warms himself in front of a bonfire along the Salah al-Din road in Nuseirat
During the first phase, 33 hostages are expected to be released in staggered intervals in exchange for around 1,900 Palestinians detained in Israeli facilities.
So far, seven hostages and 289 Palestinians have been released under the agreement, alongside one Jordanian prisoner freed by Israel.
In Gaza, Palestinian authorities prevented hundreds of displaced individuals from reaching the Israeli-controlled route to the north, where Israeli tanks and armored vehicles were obstructing access.
Rafiqa Subh, who is waiting to return to Beit Lahia, stated: “We want to go back, even though our homes are destroyed. We miss our homes dearly.”
The Israeli military’s Arabic-language spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, stated that Gazans were prohibited from approaching the Netzarim Corridor, which is essential for returning to their homes in the north, “until it is announced open.”
“These instructions will remain in effect” until further notice and until “Hamas fulfills its obligations,” he added.
The truce has triggered a significant influx of food, fuel, medicine, and other aid into the devastated Gaza region, yet the UN asserts that “the humanitarian situation remains dire.”
People walk past the rubble of the Al-Hassan Benna Mosque in Gaza City
The four hostages released on Saturday, all women soldiers, were reunited with their families and taken to the hospital, where medical professionals reported they were in stable condition.
Of the 251 hostages taken during Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023, which ignited the conflict, 87 remain in Gaza, including 34 that the military claims are deceased.
Some Israelis are anxious about the fate of the remaining hostages, as hardline members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition oppose the ceasefire.
Hours after the hostage release concluded yesterday, thousands of demonstrators convened in Tel Aviv, as they have done weekly throughout the conflict, to urge the authorities to secure the release of more hostages.
“The families cannot breathe. We are under immense stress… We will do everything; we will fight until the end, until the last hostage” returns, asserted Ifat Kalderon, whose cousin Ofer Kalderon is still imprisoned in Gaza. Efrat Machikava, niece of hostage Gadi Mozes, expressed, “Our hearts are filled with joy for the four hostages who returned to us … but we are extremely concerned for our loved ones still held in terrorist captivity.”
The attack on October 7, 2023, resulted in 1,210 casualties, primarily civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli statistics.
In retaliation, Israel’s offensive has claimed at least 47,283 lives in Gaza, the majority of whom are civilians, based on figures from the health ministry in the Hamas-administered territory, which the United Nations considers reliable.
