REACTIONS

Hamas condemns Trump’s Gaza resettlement plan as ‘ridiculous’

By Joshua Marks

(JNS) — Hamas on Wednesday rejected as “absurd” U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to relocate Gazans from the war-torn coastal enclave.

Speaking to reporters alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Tuesday, Trump proposed that the U.S. take control of Gaza, resettle its Palestinian population elsewhere and transform the enclave, which he described as a “demolition site right now,” into a developed hub.

Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters that “Trump’s remarks about his desire to control Gaza are ridiculous and absurd, and any ideas of this kind are capable of igniting the region.”

The terrorist group initiated a war when it led a mass invasion of the northwestern Negev on Oct. 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and kidnapping 251 to Gaza, where 79 are still being held, including 76 from the Oct. 7 attack. The hostages are being released in stages as part of a tenuous truce that came into effect on Jan. 19, the day before Trump was sworn into office for a second term.

On Tuesday, Trump called on Jordan, Egypt and other Arab nations to accept Gazans, asserting that Palestinians had no choice but to leave the coastal enclave, which has been devastated by nearly 16 months of war between Israel and Hamas.

While Amman and Cairo have rejected previous calls by Trump for them to accept Gazans, Trump said on Tuesday that “I think Jordan and Egypt will, I know they’ve spoken about it with you and they say they’re not going to accept it. I say they will. But I think that other countries will accept also.”

According to the Jordanian Foreign Ministry, Jordan’s King Abdullah II held a phone call with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on Tuesday evening. The two leaders stressed “the need to maintain close coordination on regional developments, foremost of which is the Palestinian cause.”

“President Trump wants to bring peace to the region and we are his partners in this effort. We will do whatever we can to realize this peace & will continue to put solutions on the table.”

House Speaker Johnson praises Trump’s ‘bold action’ on Gaza

(JNS) — U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson commended U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday for taking “bold action” to secure lasting peace in Gaza.

Sharing a video of Trump’s joint White House press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday—where Trump declared that the “U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip”—Johnson reaffirmed unwavering American support for Israel and regional stability.

“The United States stands firmly with Israel and the people of the Middle East, which haven’t experienced peace in many, many years. Violence and hatred do not have to define the region’s future. Today, President Trump took bold action in hopes of achieving lasting peace in Gaza. We are hopeful this brings much needed stability and security to the region,” tweeted Johnson.

The United States stands firmly with Israel and the people of the Middle East, which haven’t experienced peace in many, many years. Violence and hatred do not have to define the region’s future.

Johnson earlier in the week confirmed that he and Netanyahu would meet in the speaker’s office on Thursday.

“We need to be supporting Israel right now as strongly as ever,” Johnson stated. “It’s a critical time in the Middle East, and they’ve got a real dilemma on their hands. I think President Trump is going to echo that.”

“I think Marco Rubio is doing a great job at State already,” Johnson added. “Everyone in the world needs to know that America stands with Israel, and we will.”

Houthi leader slams Trump’s Gaza plans

(JNS) — A leader of the Houthi terrorist group in Yemen on Wednesday criticized U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent remarks on Gaza, calling them an example of “American arrogance” that should not be met with Arab submission.

“American arrogance will spare no one as long as it is met with submission from the Arabs. This reaffirms that Yemen’s policy of supporting any resistance front is the correct choice,” senior political officer and spokesman Mohammed al-Bukhaiti wrote on X.

The terrorist leader also said that if Cairo or Amman confront the U.S., Yemen’s Houthis would fully support them “to the furthest extent and without red lines.”

Egypt and Jordan have rejected Trump’s proposal to accept Gazans, a proposal he repeated on Tuesday at the White House alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, suggesting that Amman and Cairo would come around to accepting Palestinians from the war-torn coastal enclave.

The Houthis, who attacked Israel and Red Sea shipping during the current Israel-Hamas war, halted their strikes following the ceasefire that went into effect on Jan. 19. However, their actions significantly reduced Suez Canal traffic, damaging Egypt’s economy because of lost transit fees.