U.S. President Donald Trump indicated on Monday that he might withhold aid from Egypt and Jordan if they refuse to accept Palestinian refugees from the Gaza Strip.
When asked by a reporter if he would withhold U.S. financial assistance from the two countries if they refuse his request, Trump replied, “Yeah, maybe, sure why not? If they don’t, I would conceivably withhold aid, yes,” according to the White House pool report.
In January, the president called on Arab nations, specifically Egypt and Jordan, to take in more Palestinians to “clean out” the Gaza Strip. King Abdullah II of Jordan and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi have repeatedly rejected that plan.
When asked how he would convince Jordan’s leader to take people in, Trump said, “I do think he’ll take” in some of the population, “and I think other countries will take also. They have good hearts.”
Trump’s comments come during the same session in which he told reporters that “all hell is going to break out” if Hamas does not release all Israeli hostages by this Saturday.
Earlier on Monday, the terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip said it would delay the release of hostages scheduled for Saturday “until further notice” due to Israel’s alleged violations of the ceasefire agreement.
