Jordan’s King Abdullah II offered to take in 2,000 Palestinian children from Gaza, including those who are ill or suffering from cancer, during a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday, The Economic Times reported.
Trump called the proposal a “beautiful gesture” and said he was “99% sure” a similar arrangement could be made with Egypt. “We’ll have some others helping,” he added, according to NBC News.
Seated next to Trump in the Oval Office, King Abdullah reaffirmed the need for a comprehensive plan that satisfies all parties involved. However, he declined to say whether Jordan would accept a larger number of Palestinian refugees, as more than a million people in Gaza remain homeless.
“We have to look at the best interests of the United States, the people in the region, and especially my people in Jordan,” King Abdullah said. He added that any further decisions would depend on Egypt’s position.
The visit comes at a critical moment for the fragile cease-fire in Gaza. Hamas has accused Israel of violating the truce and announced it is pausing hostage releases. On Monday, Trump called for Israel to resume fighting if the remaining hostages are not freed by the weekend, U.S. News reported.
Several Arab and Western countries, including France, Turkey, and Egypt, rejected Trump’s plan for the resettlement of Gazans.