A coalition of Arab nations issued a joint statement Saturday firmly rejecting U.S. President Donald Trump's suggestion to relocate Palestinians from Gaza to neighboring countries. The response came after Trump floated the idea of moving Gaza's displaced population to Jordan and Egypt, a proposal that regional leaders warned would destabilize the Middle East.

Foreign ministers from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar met in Cairo and reiterated their opposition to any forced displacement of Palestinians. The nations “firmly rejected any actions that threaten these rights, including settlement expansion, forced evictions, home demolitions, land annexation, or the displacement of Palestinians through direct expulsion or coerced migration," the ministers stated.

Trump first suggested the relocation plan in January, saying he had spoken with King Abdullah II of Jordan about housing displaced Palestinians elsewhere in the Middle East. "I said to him that I'd love you to take on more, because I'm looking at the whole Gaza Strip right now and it's a mess, it's a real mess," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. "You're talking about a million and a half people, and we just clean out that whole thing."

The former president added, "Almost everything's demolished, and people are dying there, so I'd rather get involved with some of the Arab nations and build housing in a different location where I think they could maybe live in peace for a change."

Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi responded, calling his country's opposition "firm and unwavering." Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi rejected the idea outright last week. "The solution to this issue is the two-state solution. It is the establishment of a Palestinian state," el-Sissi said. "The solution is not to remove the Palestinian people from their place. No."

Arab leaders emphasized the risks of relocating Palestinians outside Gaza, citing concerns that Israel would never allow them to return once they left. Egypt has warned that transferring large numbers of Palestinians to the Sinai Peninsula, which borders Gaza, could pose security threats. Jordan, already home to over 2 million Palestinian refugees, has expressed fears that absorbing more would strain its economy and political stability.

The Arab foreign ministers' statement called for a comprehensive reconstruction plan for Gaza to ensure that displaced Palestinians remain in their homeland. They also urged the international community to support rebuilding efforts and prevent future displacement.

The ministers reaffirmed their commitment to a two-state solution, calling on the United Nations and the U.S. to support efforts toward the creation of a Palestinian state.

Their statement also condemned Israeli actions in Gaza, demanding "the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and rejecting any attempts to partition the Strip."

Some Israeli officials have previously raised the idea of population transfers from Gaza as part of a post-war arrangement. However, Israel has not formally endorsed a mass relocation plan. The Arab ministers defended the role of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) after Israel imposed a ban on the agency, underscoring its "indispensable role" in providing aid.