US president turned up the pressure on the two nations to agree to his proposal for them to house the Palestinian population of Gaza and said the Palestinians would not have the right to return to the territory.
After signing executive orders Monday, Trump issued an ultimatum to Hamas: “If all of the hostages aren’t returned by Saturday at 12 o’clock … I would say, cancel it and all bets are off and let hell break out,” he said in remarks to reporters. When asked whether he meant retaliation, Trump said, “You’ll find out, and they’ll find out, too. Hamas will find out what I mean.”
Trump’s comments came after Hamas earlier in the day said it would delay “until further notice” the release of three Israeli hostages set for Saturday — the first major setback for the ceasefire and hostage-release deal. Hamas blamed its delay on recent Israeli shelling and gunfire in Gaza, along with an insufficient flow of aid.
The move by Hamas came as Trump said Palestinians displaced from Gaza to neighboring countries, under his proposal for the United States to “own” Gaza and develop real estate there, would not have the right to return to the enclave. His comments came during an interview with Fox News host Bret Baier that aired Monday evening.
“In the meantime, I would own this. Think of it as a real estate development for the future. It would be a beautiful piece of land,” Trump said of the plan, which he first floated last week during Netanyahu’s visit to Washington.
Asked by Baier if Palestinians would be allowed to return to Gaza, Trump replied: “No, they wouldn’t, because they’re going to have much better housing. In other words, I’m talking about building a permanent place for them.”
On Monday, after signing executive orders, Trump was asked by a reporter whether he would consider withholding aid from Jordan and Egypt if they don’t agree to take in Palestinians. “Yeah, maybe, sure, why not? If they don’t, I would conceivably withhold aid, yes,” Trump said.
Jordan’s leader, King Abdullah II, is set to meet the president in Washington on Tuesday.
