King Abdullah II of Jordan pledged to absorb 2,000 sick Palestinian youngsters from the Gaza Strip on Tuesday amid strain from President Trump for his nation to absorb Palestinians from the enclave.
Abdullah met with Trump on the White Home, the place the 2 leaders mentioned controversial proposals from Trump to absorb giant swaths of the Palestinian inhabitants in Gaza whereas persevering with to double down on the U.S. taking on the coastal strip and sending blended indicators on whether or not residents might ever return.
Trump, in the meantime, appeared to additionally backpedal from a suggestion he floated the day earlier than about withholding support to Jordan and Egypt in the event that they did not take up his proposal for relocating Palestinians of their nations upon listening to Abdullah’s supply to absorb sick youngsters.
“I think the president is very happy that we do this thing with 2,000 children as quickly as possible,” Abdullah stated. “I believe that the president is looking forward to getting a group of us Arabs here to discuss the overall plan.”
Abdullah outlined that his nation will concentrate on youngsters with most cancers or who’re sick, which Trump praised as a “beautiful gesture.”
Sitting within the Oval Workplace the day earlier than throughout an government order signing, Trump was requested if he would withhold support from Jordan and Egypt “if they don’t take in the Palestinians.”
“Yeah, maybe. Sure, why not?” Trump responded. “In the event that they don’t agree, I’d conceivably withhold support. Yeah,” Trump responded.
However on Tuesday, when requested that query once more sitting subsequent to the leaders of a type of nations, Trump softened his stance.
“I do think we’re above that,” Trump stated.
“We contribute a lot of money to Jordan and to Egypt, by the way, a lot to both, but I don’t have to threaten that,” he added.
The U.S. and Jordan signed a memorandum in 2022 wherein the U.S. dedicated to offering greater than $1 billion yearly in international help. The U.S. offered roughly $1.5 billion in international help to Egypt in fiscal 2023. Each nations are among the many high receivers of U.S. international support.
The president, in the meantime, continued to double down on his concept that the U.S. take over Gaza following the struggle and expressed confidence within the assembly that the plan will “work out” to manage Gaza. However Abdullah was lukewarm about such a proposal, which has been met with opposition from a lot of the Arab area.
Abdullah stated he would look forward to the Egyptians to additionally current concepts.
The assembly comes as a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza seems as fragile as ever after Hamas advised it could not launch further hostages by a Saturday deadline as a result of it claims Israel was not holding up its finish of the deal.
Trump additionally advised Monday he would finish the ceasefire Saturday if the U.S.-designated terrorist group didn’t launch each remaining hostage it has in Gaza.
