Trump Idea not Unreasonable

Donald Trump has repeated his idea about many people from the Gaza Strip moving to Egypt and Jordan. In response to a question on Thursday about whether Egypt and Jordan would accept them, the US President said:

“They’re gonna do it, okay? We do a lot for them, and they’re gonna do it.”

That comment followed his call on Egypt and Jordan last week, asking them to take in more Palestinians to “clean out” the Gaza Strip so that reconstruction work can proceed without the hindrances arising from masses of local residents.

In the first couple of days of this week, more than 375,000 Gazans were said to have been making the difficult journey back from the safety zones in the south to the heavily damaged towns and cities in the north of the Strip.

There are mixed feelings among them, with some happy to return even though their homes may be damaged, while others mourn the damage and destruction caused during 15 months of conflict.

Many of them hoped for better conditions than the life they have been living in tents in the south, but there are few homes available and space for setting up tents is limited in some areas.

The return had increased to nearly 800,000 people by the end of the week and created significant challenges for Hamas as they try to reassert their authority in the Strip.

The United Nations (UN) estimates around 70 percent of buildings have been damaged or destroyed, with the north bearing the brunt of the destruction.

Hamas’ Government Media Office has made an urgent appeal for 135,000 tents and caravans. But one UN official said there simply aren’t that many manufactured tents for aid operations anywhere in the world.

In addition, the Gaza Municipality issued an urgent call to the international community and aid agencies on Thursday, because the influx of people into the city is putting a massive strain on the deteriorating sewage systems, raising the possibility of major health problems.

Years of under-investment by Hamas have left many systems in very poor condition.

And the UN Secretary General has argued against Egypt’s reluctance to open the border, demanding that 2,500 children be evacuated immediately for medical treatment.

The fact that Egypt has kept its border with the Gaza Strip closed should be one of the major questions asked about the whole conflict. In effect it trapped Gazan civilians in a war zone.

Donald Trump’s idea about temporary resettlement is achievable if the Gazans’ Arab neighbours, and some of their fellow Muslims, can be moved by compassion.

There are 21 other Arab countries in the region, with a total population of around 475 million. Many of them have claimed in the past to champion the Palestinian cause. Will they now recognise it is time to offer 1 million Gazan civilians refuge?

This Gazan woman hopes fervently that someone will take her family out of the devastation.