Trump’s Gaza annexation plan is ‘worst nightmare’ scenario for Egypt and Jordan
US president Donald Trump’s controversial proposal to ‘take ownership’ of Gaza and forcibly relocate more than 2 million Palestinians has triggered alarm and outrage across the Middle East.
Central to the plan is the displacement of Palestinians to neighboring Egypt and Jordan, a move that has put both countries in an increasingly difficult position. The suggestion that Jordan and Egypt would be expected to absorb potentially millions of displaced Palestinians has sparked fierce rejection from their governments. Both Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordanian King Abdullah II immediately opposed the plan, fearing its political fallout and the heavy burden it would place on their already strained resources. With populations sympathetic to the Palestinian cause, both countries face significant internal unrest if they were to comply.
Further aggravating their already vulnerable position is both countries’ heavy reliance on US military and economic aid. The US provides Egypt with over $1.3 billion annually in military assistance, while Jordan receives $1.45 billion in bilateral aid. This dependence leaves both nations vulnerable to potential pressure from Washington. Jordan, with a population that is nearly half of Palestinian origin, has long been wary of hosting additional Palestinians, fearing it could fuel demands for citizenship and further complicate the already sensitive issue of Palestinian identity within the kingdom.
The proposal has also raised alarm across the Arab world, where any large-scale displacement of Palestinians is seen as a move toward “de-Palestinization” of the occupied territories, an objective espoused by Israel’s far-right factions. A recent report by the Human Rights Watch (HRW) has already accused Israel of committing ‘ethnic cleansing’ amid mass forced displacements in Gaza. In Egypt, the government has faced mounting protests against any plan to resettle Palestinians in its Sinai region. Trump’s plan to annex Gaza will likely face a mass opposition in Muslim-majority countries, as evidenced by latest protests of hundreds of Somalis in Mogadishu displaying banners stating “Gaza Is Not For Sale” and “Somalis Stand With Palestine.”