Trump says he wants to ‘clean out’ Gaza as he restarts policy to give Israel new bombs
Trump says he wants to ‘clean out’ Gaza as he restarts policy to give Israel new bombs
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Trump has built his political career around being unapologetically pro-Israel. President Donald Trump said he would like to see Gaza “just cleaned out,” allowing a clean slate for the war-torn region on the back of the ceasefire deal. Trump called for Jordan, Egypt and other Arab nations to increase the number of Palestinian refugees they are accepting. His hope is they take enough to allow the area to start anew.
![[Trump spoke with reporters aboard Air Force on Saturday and talked about the ceasefire and his plans for the Middle East]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/26/15/SEI237380200.jpg)
Trump has built his political career around being unapologetically pro-Israel. On his larger vision for Gaza, Trump told reporters on Air Force One he had call earlier in the day with King Abdullah II of Jordan and would speak Sunday with President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi of Egypt.
“I’d like Egypt to take people,” Trump said in a Saturday meeting with reporters. “You’re talking about probably a million and a half people, and we just clean out that whole thing and say, ‘You know, it’s over.’”. Trump also said he has ended his predecessor's hold on sending 2,000-pound bombs to Israel. That lifts a pressure point meant to reduce civilian casualties during Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza, which is now halted by a tenuous ceasefire.
"We released them today," Trump said of the bombs. "They've been waiting for them for a long time." Asked why he lifted the ban on those bombs, Trump responded, "Because they bought them.". Trump said he complimented Jordan for having successfully accepted Palestinian refugees and that he told the king, "I'd love for you to take on more, cause I'm looking at the whole Gaza Strip right now, and it's a mess. It's a real mess.".
