Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said he would like to see Jordan, Egypt and other Arab countries increase the number of Palestinian refugees they are accepting from Gaza. “You’re talking about a million and a half people, and we just clean out that whole thing,” Trump said, according to media reports. “Something has to happen, but it’s literally a demolition site right now. Almost everything’s demolished and people are dying there ... So I’d rather get involved with some of the Arab nations and build housing in a different location where I think they could maybe live in peace for a change,” Trump said. Trump told reporters he'd spoken to King Abdullah II of Jordan on Saturday. “I said to him, ‘I’d love for you to take on more because I’m looking at the whole Gaza Strip right now, and it’s a mess,’” Trump said. He added that he would be speaking with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on Sunday.

Trump floated the idea on Saturday, saying he would urge the leaders of the two Arab countries to take in Gaza’s now largely homeless population, so that “we just clean out that whole thing.” He added that resettling Gaza’s population “could be temporary or long term.” “It’s literally a demolition site right now,” Trump said, referring to the vast destruction caused by Israel’s 15-month military campaign against Hamas, now paused by a fragile ceasefire. “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,” Trump said.

President Donald Trump indicated Saturday that he would like to “just clean out” Gaza and send the bombed-out Palestinian refugees from there to neighboring Middle Eastern nations. During an extended question-and-answer on Air Force One, President Trump floated the idea of moving Palestinians to create a clean slate. “I’d like Egypt to take people,” the president said, the AP reports, adding, “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.’” “I’d love for [Jordan] 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.” Trump added that this type of relocation of Palestinians “could be temporary or long term.”“Something has to happen. But it’s literally a demolition site right now. Almost everything’s demolished, and people are dying there,” he emphasized.