President Donald Trump and Jordanian King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein recently met alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other diplomats at the White House.
King Abdullah lauded President Trump, claiming he was confident the latter could bring “peace and prosperity” to the Middle East.
"I truly believe, with all the challenges that we have in the Middle East, that I finally see somebody that can take us across the finish line to bring stability, peace, and prosperity to all of us in the region," said Abdullah.
Trump and Abdullah’s meeting follows fresh tensions in the Middle East as Hamas and Israel blame each other for violating a quivering ceasefire agreement.
Abdullah encouraged Trump to leverage US influence towards preserving the ceasefire.
Moreover, Abdullah seemed to resist Trump’s plans for a US takeover of Gaza.
“Rebuilding Gaza without displacing the Palestinians and addressing the dire humanitarian situation should be the priority for all,” said Abdullah.
Trump has recently doubled-down on his idea of acquiring control of Gaza, rebuilding it, and resettling Palestinians to other areas.
“The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it, too," Trump said. "We'll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site, level the site and get rid of the destroyed buildings — level it out.”
Trump had previously floated this idea, explaining Gaza was in dire need of reconstruction and that adequate planning and leadership could help rebuild Gazan society and establish peace and prosperity for years to come.
Secretary Rubio focused on the need for eliminating Hamas, which he claims is the main obstacle for achieving permanent peace in the Middle East.
“There's not going to be peace in the Middle East as long as a group like Hamas physically controls territory and is the most dominant power in Gaza or anywhere in the Middle East,” said Rubio.
