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Arab World

After Meeting Trump, Jordan’s King Abdullah Opposes Palestinian Displacement

US President Donald Trump (2-R) greets Jordan's King Abdullah II (R) and Crown Prince of Jordan Hussein (C) as they arrive for meetings at the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 11 February 2025.(EPA)
US President Donald Trump (2-R) greets Jordan's King Abdullah II (R) and Crown Prince of Jordan Hussein (C) as they arrive for meetings at the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 11 February 2025.(EPA)
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After Meeting Trump, Jordan’s King Abdullah Opposes Palestinian Displacement

US President Donald Trump (2-R) greets Jordan's King Abdullah II (R) and Crown Prince of Jordan Hussein (C) as they arrive for meetings at the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 11 February 2025.(EPA)
US President Donald Trump (2-R) greets Jordan's King Abdullah II (R) and Crown Prince of Jordan Hussein (C) as they arrive for meetings at the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 11 February 2025.(EPA)

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday pressed Jordan's King Abdullah II to take in Palestinians who would be permanently displaced under the president's plan for the US to take over the Gaza Strip, even as the king said his country was firmly opposed to the move. 

Speaking alongside the Arab country's ruler in the White House, Trump signaled he would not budge on his idea that involves moving the Gaza Strip's shell-shocked residents and transforming the war-ravaged territory into what he billed a "Riviera of the Middle East." 

Trump has infuriated the Arab world by saying that Palestinians would not be able to return to their homes under his proposal to redevelop the enclave, which has been devastated by an Israeli offensive. 

"We're going to take it. We're going to hold it, we're going to cherish it. We're going to get it going eventually, where a lot of jobs are going to be created for the people in the Middle East," Trump said in the Oval Office, saying his plan would "bring peace" to the region. 

King Abdullah said later that he reiterated to Trump Jordan’s "steadfast position" against the displacement of Palestinians in Gaza, as well as in the occupied West Bank that borders his country. 

"This is the unified Arab position," he said in a post on X. "Rebuilding Gaza without displacing the Palestinians and addressing the dire humanitarian situation should be the priority for all." 

Despite the views of his Jordanian counterpart, Trump said Jordan, as well as Egypt, would ultimately agree to house displaced residents of Gaza.  

"I believe we'll have a parcel of land in Jordan. I believe we'll have a parcel of land in Egypt," said Trump. "We may have someplace else, but I think when we finish our talks, we'll have a place where they're going to live very happily and very safely." 

Counterproposal 

Trump, who has suggested he could consider withholding aid to Jordan, said he was not using support as a threat. 

"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. I think we're above that," Trump said. 

King Abdullah has previously said he rejects any moves to annex land and displace Palestinians. He is the first Arab leader to meet Trump since the Gaza plan was floated. 

While the two leaders were cordial with each other, Trump's comments about Gaza put King Abdullah in an awkward position, given the sensitivity in Jordan of the Palestinians' claim of a right to return to the lands that many fled during the war that surrounded the creation of Israel in 1948. 

The king said he would do what is best for his country, but said Jordan would take in 2,000 sick children from Gaza for treatment, an offer that Trump praised. 

Arab nations would come to Washington with a counterproposal, he said. 

"The point is how to make this work in a way that is good for everybody," he said. 

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi later told state-owned al-Mamlaka TV that there is an Egyptian-led Arab plan to rebuild Gaza without displacing its people. 

Trump's proposal has introduced new complexity into a sensitive regional dynamic, including a fragile ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. 

Hamas on Monday said it would stop releasing Israeli hostages from Gaza until further notice, saying Israel was violating the agreement to end strikes that have pummeled Gaza. Trump later proposed canceling the ceasefire if Hamas doesn't release all remaining hostages it took on October 7, 2023, by Saturday. 

Trump said on Tuesday that "all bets are off" if Hamas does not meet the deadline, adding that he does not think the Palestinian group will do so. 

Three out of four Americans -- 74% -- in a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted February 7-9 said they opposed the idea of the US taking control of Gaza and displacing the Palestinians who live there. The poll showed that Republicans were divided on the issue, with 55% opposed and 43% supportive. 

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Arab World

Aoun Says Future Deal Will Not Cede Lebanese Territory, Country No Longer ‘Arena for Anyone’s Wars’

A photograph released by the Lebanese Presidency on April 17, 2026, shows Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun delivering a televised address to the Lebanese people from the Baabda Presidential Palace, east of the capital Beirut. (Lebanese Presidency)
A photograph released by the Lebanese Presidency on April 17, 2026, shows Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun delivering a televised address to the Lebanese people from the Baabda Presidential Palace, east of the capital Beirut. (Lebanese Presidency)
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Aoun Says Future Deal Will Not Cede Lebanese Territory, Country No Longer ‘Arena for Anyone’s Wars’

A photograph released by the Lebanese Presidency on April 17, 2026, shows Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun delivering a televised address to the Lebanese people from the Baabda Presidential Palace, east of the capital Beirut. (Lebanese Presidency)
A photograph released by the Lebanese Presidency on April 17, 2026, shows Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun delivering a televised address to the Lebanese people from the Baabda Presidential Palace, east of the capital Beirut. (Lebanese Presidency)

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Friday that any future deal reached by the government would not cede any ‌territory or ‌undermine Lebanon's national ‌rights, ⁠without saying whether ⁠he was referring to prospective talks with Israel.

The televised address was ⁠his first speech ‌since ‌the US brokered a ‌ceasefire to ‌end fighting between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah on Thursday. ‌

The text of the deal ⁠says ⁠Israel and Lebanon would hold direct talks to produce a "peace between the two countries".

Aoun said Lebanon was on the verge of a "new phase" of "permanent agreements."

"Now, we all stand before a new phase," he added, stressing "it is the phase of transition from working on a ceasefire to working on permanent agreements that preserve the rights of our people, the unity of our land, and the sovereignty of our nation."

He added that direct talks with Israel were "not a sign of weakness nor a concession... negotiations do not mean, and will never mean, giving up any right, conceding any principle, or compromising the sovereignty of this nation."

Moreover, Aoun stressed that Lebanon was no longer an "arena" for anyone's wars.

"We are confident that we will save Lebanon... we have reclaimed Lebanon and Lebanon's decision-making power for the first time in nearly half a century," he declared, adding that "today, we negotiate for ourselves... we are no longer a pawn in anyone's game, nor an arena for anyone's wars, and we never will be again."

"I hereby affirm... that there will be no agreement that infringes upon our national rights, diminishes the dignity of our steadfast people, or relinquishes an iota of this nation's soil."

Arab World

Hezbollah Tallies Its Dead from Israel War, Estimates Exceed 1,000

A woman walks next to an ambulance at the site of an Israeli strike carried out before a 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel went into effect, in Tyre, Lebanon, April 17, 2026. (Reuters)
A woman walks next to an ambulance at the site of an Israeli strike carried out before a 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel went into effect, in Tyre, Lebanon, April 17, 2026. (Reuters)
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Hezbollah Tallies Its Dead from Israel War, Estimates Exceed 1,000

A woman walks next to an ambulance at the site of an Israeli strike carried out before a 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel went into effect, in Tyre, Lebanon, April 17, 2026. (Reuters)
A woman walks next to an ambulance at the site of an Israeli strike carried out before a 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel went into effect, in Tyre, Lebanon, April 17, 2026. (Reuters)

Hezbollah said its fighters would “keep their fingers on the trigger” hours after a ceasefire took effect between Lebanon and Israel, warning it would not stay silent over any Israeli violations and would not repeat its past restraint under the October 2024 ceasefire, when Israel continued attacks and assassinations against its members and commanders.

In recent hours, the Iran-backed party focused on helping large numbers of displaced people return to their homes, while tracking Israeli movements in occupied areas and preparing for a possible new confrontation at any moment.

Death toll unclear

People closely following Hezbollah said it was still counting its dead, with no final toll yet, as many fighters remain under rubble in villages and towns that saw fierce clashes, including the southern towns of Khiam and Bint Jbeil, where Israeli forces are deployed, complicating search efforts.

Some bodies are difficult to identify, while others have been taken captive.

Sources said Hezbollah would not, for now or in the near future, announce casualty figures, as it did in the previous war.

It stopped issuing official death notices after the toll passed 500 and is maintaining that approach, they said, with estimates suggesting the number is high and may exceed 1,000, particularly after heavy fighting in Khiam and Bint Jbeil.

Hezbollah statement

In a statement after the ceasefire, Hezbollah said it carried out 2,184 military operations during the 45-day battle from March 2 to April 16.

It said its drones and rocket fire struck Israeli settlements and cities from the Lebanese border to beyond Tel Aviv, up to 160 km deep.

It said its fighters conducted about 49 operations a day, adding: “The hands of these fighters will remain on the trigger, on guard against the enemy’s treachery and any violation of its commitments.”

Hezbollah lawmakers on Friday accompanied displaced residents returning to their towns and villages in the south, Bekaa Valley, and Beirut’s southern suburbs.

Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah said the group would accept no surrender or submission.

“This issue is settled for us. If the Americans want to give the Israeli enemy freedom of movement, and if some Lebanese officials submit and make concessions, that will have no application on the ground,” he said, warning that the ceasefire “must not become a tool for the enemy to blackmail the authorities.”

He added: “The Lebanese authorities must withdraw from direct negotiations that will only lead to submission to Israeli dictates. This threatens Lebanon’s future and fate.”

People check destruction behind posters of Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem (bottom) and a killed Hezbollah member in Beirut's southern suburbs after a 10-day ceasefire with Israel came into effect on April 17, 2026. (AFP)

‘A major defeat’

While Hezbollah and its supporters frame the outcome as a victory, security and defense analyst Riad Kahwaji told Asharq al Awsat the battlefield suggests otherwise.

“When the war began, the Israelis were in five points, while Hezbollah fighters were active along axes such as Naqoura, Kfar Kila, and Aita al-Shaab. Today, Israeli forces are deeper inside Lebanese territory,” he said.

“Israeli control has reached 10 km, compared with around 2 or 3 km before. Hezbollah lost territory, was forced to retreat, its death toll is in the hundreds, its number of captives has risen, and the scale of destruction in the south, the southern suburbs and the Bekaa is many times greater,” Kahwaji added.

He said tens of thousands have been displaced after their homes were destroyed. “This is defeat, in every sense of the word.”

Kahwaji said that even if Israeli soldiers were killed, their numbers were not comparable to Hezbollah’s losses, and that the scale of damage in Lebanon versus Israel underscored the imbalance.

“Hezbollah considers its survival and ability to fire rockets a victory, even though it has again shown it acts as an Iranian tool and entered the war in support of Iran,” he stressed.

Ready for another round

Political writer Qassem Kassir, who is closely familiar with Hezbollah’s position, offered a sharply different view, saying the group had emerged stronger than after the 2024 war.

“If we do not say it won, what is certain is that Israel failed to achieve its military and security goals. Tel Aviv was unable to target Hezbollah’s leadership. Although some commanders were killed, the number is very small compared with the previous war,” he said.

Kassir said Hezbollah had “managed the battle with precision and success” and was preparing for a possible new confrontation, unless comprehensive solutions are reached, including a full Israeli withdrawal, the return of captives, an end to attacks and launch of reconstruction.

Arab World

Secret Israeli Ministerial Talks under US Pressure Discuss Vision of ‘New Gaza’

A satellite image of Gaza port. (Reuters file)
A satellite image of Gaza port. (Reuters file)
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Secret Israeli Ministerial Talks under US Pressure Discuss Vision of ‘New Gaza’

A satellite image of Gaza port. (Reuters file)
A satellite image of Gaza port. (Reuters file)

Israeli media sources said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered two secret meetings of senior officials across several ministries, under US pressure, to discuss the future of Gaza, including a possible commercial port and reconstruction plans.

Observers linked the meetings to a military escalation in which Israeli forces struck multiple areas on the margins of operations in Lebanon, in what they said was meant to divert attention from the talks, opposed by far-right ministers.

Israel’s Channel 12 reported on Thursday that a meeting this week was chaired by acting director general of the prime minister’s office, Drorit Steinmetz, with participation from the finance ministry, the National Security Council, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, and the energy, transport and environmental protection ministries.

Citing five unnamed sources, the channel said the meeting followed US pressure and requests from American officials at the Civil-Military Coordination Center (CMCC) in Kiryat Gat. It said this was the second government meeting on the issue held in complete secrecy.

Talks focused on managing US forces inside Gaza, as well as control of border crossings and the near-term flow of goods.

Ministries were asked to present positions on establishing a civilian port in Gaza. Israel’s vision was also reviewed alongside proposals from the CMCC, involving foreign representatives and aid groups.

These proposals fall under what US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have called a “new Gaza,” including high-rise buildings, industrial zones, desalination plants, a gas platform, and an airport, the report said.

Representatives from the electricity and water authorities and the transport ministry were asked to provide professional assessments.

The report said Israel’s leadership had issued clear guidance that no reconstruction would move forward unless Gaza is fully demilitarized and the Palestinian Hamas group is disarmed. Israel also said it would not fund any reconstruction.

Despite official statements, Channel 12 said Israel appears to be compelled to engage with external initiatives that contradict its stated position.

Netanyahu’s office said policy remains unchanged, no reconstruction before Hamas is disarmed and Gaza fully demilitarized, a condition it has not been met despite commitments to the US administration and mediators.

It added that professional-level discussions are not meant to advance reconstruction, but to assess international proposals and prevent the establishment of a status quo on the ground that could harm Israel’s interests.