Trump's demand for the transfer of Palestinians is rejected by Arab foreign ministers.

Trump's demand for the transfer of Palestinians is rejected by Arab foreign ministers.

CAIRO - In a united stand against U.S. President Donald Trump's demand that Egypt and Jordan host Gaza Strip inhabitants, Arab foreign ministers on Saturday denounced the removal of Palestinians from their country under any circumstances.

The foreign ministers and officials from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, the Palestinian Authority, and the Arab League said in a joint statement after a meeting in Cairo that such a move would jeopardize regional stability, escalate conflict, and erode peace prospects.

"We affirm our rejection of [any attempts] to compromise Palestinians' unalienable rights, whether through settlement activities, or evictions or annex of land or through vacating the land from its owners...in any form or under any circumstances or justifications," the statement added.

They said that they were eager to collaborate with Trump's administration in order to bring about a fair and all-encompassing peace in the Middle East that is founded on a two-state solution.

Trump referred to Gaza as a "demolition site" after 15 months of Israeli bombardment left the majority of its 2.3 million residents homeless, and he suggested last week that Egypt and Jordan should take in Palestinians fleeing Gaza. This meeting follows his remarks. His proposal has drawn criticism for being akin to ethnic cleansing.

On Wednesday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi declared that Egyptians will demonstrate in the streets against the notion that Egypt would help to relocate Gazans.

Trump, however, reaffirmed the notion on Thursday, stating: "We do a lot for them, and they are going to do it," seemingly alluding to the substantial amount of military and other U.S. help that the United States provides to Egypt and Jordan.

Since the Gaza war started in October 2023, the Palestinian leadership has opposed any proposal that the Palestinians leave Gaza, a land they wish to become part of an independent state, for centuries. Since then, neighboring Arab states have also consistently rejected this idea.

Tens of thousands of Palestinians reside in Egypt, while several million already call Jordan home. The foreign ministries of Egypt and Jordan have both rejected Trump's suggestion in recent days.

The Arab ministers also applauded Egypt's proposals to host a United Nations-sponsored international conference aimed at rebuilding Gaza, which has been largely destroyed in the 15-month conflict between Israel and Hamas. The conference has not yet been scheduled.