Jordan won't comment on Safadi's denial of Hamas expulsion plan
Jordan's government has declined to clarify a statement attributed to the kingdom's foreign minister in which he appeared to deny Middle East Eye's story on Jordan proposing the exile of 3,000 Hamas members from Gaza to end Israelâs war.
Jordan's Husna Radio reported on Monday that Ayman Safadi had denied the story and attributed remarks to the foreign minister in which he said that Jordan "remained steadfast in its position on the Palestinian issue" and rejected any expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza or the West Bank.
But, when contacted by MEE about Safadi's comments to Husna Radio, neither Jordan's foreign ministry nor an official government spokesperson offered a response.
MEE also sought comment from the Jordanian government before publication of its initial story but did not receive a response.
MEE on Sunday reported that Jordan has proposed to deport both military and civil members of Hamas from Gaza after being briefed by American and Palestinian sources familiar with details of the plan.
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The proposal also calls for the disarmament of Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups in the enclave, according to MEE's sources.
Such disarmament would be according to a scheduled timeline, which would culminate in an end to Hamas governance in Gaza and allow the Palestinian Authority to take charge.
The proposal was put in place after Israel renewed its devastating bombardment of Gaza on 18 March, killing hundreds of Palestinian civilians and ending the fragile ceasefire.
Over 600 Palestinians have been killed since then, according to the Palestinian health ministry, bringing the total to over 50,000 killed since 7 October 2023.
US special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, who helped broker the initial ceasefire deal, stated in an interview on Friday that Hamas cannot govern the Gaza Strip and called on it to disarm.
Safadi, as part of his statement, told Husna Radio that Jordan rejects any solution imposed on the Palestinian people outside the framework of their right to establish a state on their land, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The Jordanian official incorrectly said authorities in Amman had not been contacted by Middle East Eye to comment on the initial report.
Jordan, along with Egypt, has faced pressure from US President Donald Trump's administration to accept Palestinians from Gaza as part of an American plan to "clean out" and rebuild the enclave, which has been almost entirely destroyed by Israel's ongoing assault.
Last month, well-placed sources in Amman told MEE that Jordan was "ready for war" if Palestinians were forcibly expelled from Gaza, but said the kingdom was eager for a peaceful solution. The comments came shortly before Jordan's King Abdullah met Trump at the White House.
Arab League countries subsequently endorsed a $53bn Egyptian proposal which called for Gaza to be redeveloped without displacing its population.
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