Scholz criticizes Trump's plans to relocate Palestinians from Gaza Strip

"Any resettlement plans, the idea that the citizens of Gaza will be expelled from there to Egypt or Jordan, is unacceptable," said Scholz at an election campaign event in Berlin.

He reaffirmed his support for the two-state solution, where Israelis and Palestinians live peacefully side by side, adding that it must be clear that the Palestinian administration will take responsibility for Gaza.

"The fragile hope for peace that is now possible must not be squandered," Scholz stated. He expressed his views on the recent ceasefire agreement, adding that peace can only be achieved when people in the Gaza Strip can hope for a self-governed future.

Jordan is already home to several million Palestinians, while tens of thousands live in Egypt. The governments of both countries have rejected Trump's idea. Gaza is land that Palestinians would like to see as part of a future Palestinian state.

Trump's radical proposal

Recently, US President Donald Trump reiterated his proposal that a large number of Palestinians should leave Gaza for Egypt or Jordan. He made this statement despite widespread opposition from Palestinian leadership, the United Nations, and US allies in the region.

During a conversation with journalists aboard Air Force One on Monday evening, the US president reiterated that he would like to get [Palestinians from Gaza] living in an area where they can live without disruption and revolution and violence so much

These remarks, which contradict current US policy and international law, were broadly rejected by the Arab world as a potentially fatal blow to the two-state solution for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict but were embraced by the right wing in Israel.

Trump also stated that he would soon meet with his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, amid speculation that the long-serving Israeli prime minister will be the first foreign leader to visit the White House during Trump's second term.

"When you look at the Gaza Strip, it’s been hell for so many years. There have been various civilisations on that strip. It didn’t start here. It started thousands of years before, and there’s always been violence associated with it. You could get people living in areas that are a lot safer and maybe a lot better and maybe a lot more comfortable," the US president said.

Trump mentioned that on Sunday he spoke with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi and Jordanian King Abdullah, insisting that both leaders would agree with the plan. On Monday, Abdullah also spoke with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, although this issue was not mentioned in the State Department’s statement regarding the conversation.

"I wish [Sisi] would take some. We helped them a lot, and I’m sure he’d help us. He’s a friend of mine. He’s in … a rough neighbourhood. But I think he would do it, and I think the king of Jordan would do it too," Trump said.

Doubts of the Palestinians

The situation in Gaza remains incredibly complex and painful, with the proposal by Donald Trump adding yet another layer of tension to an already fraught issue. The idea of temporarily relocating Palestinians from Gaza to neighboring countries like Egypt and Jordan, as suggested by Trump, has been met with strong resistance from both local governments and the Palestinian people.

This skepticism comes from a long history of displacement for Palestinians, which has been ongoing since the establishment of Israel in 1948. Additionally, the destruction caused by the recent conflict - where 70% of Gaza's infrastructure was destroyed and a large portion of its population was displaced - has left a profound humanitarian crisis. The idea of moving people temporarily, especially after such a long history of forced displacement, is understandably seen as a continuation of trauma, rather than a solution.

Furthermore, the comments about Egypt and Jordan, and the lack of direct communication between President Sisi and Trump, reflect the reluctance of these countries to be involved in such a plan. They have been clear in their opposition to the proposal, reinforcing the deep complexities of regional politics and the sensitivities surrounding the Palestinian issue.

Ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip

On January 16, Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas reached a ceasefire agreement and a mutual prisoner exchange in the Gaza Strip.

The agreement came into effect on January 19, when Hamas released the first three Israeli hostages, and Israel freed 90 Palestinian prisoners.

On January 27, Israeli authorities allowed civilians to return to the northern part of Gaza.