Before the meeting between US President Donald Trump and the King of Jordan Abdullah II on Tuesday, the two addressed the press and responded to questions including those regarding his ultimatum to Hamas and the possibility of annexing Judea and Samaria.
King Abdullah praised Trump: "I truly believe that with all the challenges that we have in the Middle East, 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. I think it is our collective responsibility in the Middle East to continue to work with you, to support you, to achieve those lofty goals. So, I'm very glad to be here.
When asked about whether he would relocate Gazans, Trump said that he believes there is a 99% chance that a solution will be worked out with Egypt.
Asked why King Abdullah should take in the Palestinians, President Trump responded, “I think we have to keep in mind that there is a plan from Egypt to the Arab countries. So we're being invited to discussions in Riyadh. The point is how do we make this work in a way that is good for everybody? We have to look at the best interests of the US, and the people in the region, especially to my people of Jordan. The first stage is to take 2000 children with cancer out of the Gaza Strip."
President Trump discussed his plan for the US to take control of the Gaza Strip: "This is not a complex thing to do. With the US in control of that piece of land, you’re going to have stability in the Middle East for the first time. The residents of Gaza will be living beautifully in another location. They will be living safely."
He assured: "We are going to make sure there is going to be peace. We are going to run it very properly and eventually, we will have economic development at a very large scale, hotels and office buildings, and housing."
The President also attacked Hamas referring to them as "bullies" adding: "Bullies are the weakest person. No place in the world is as dangerous as the Gaza Strip. They don’t want to be there, but they’ve got no alternative. It’s hell, it’s a death trap.
"I’ve looked at people coming out of the hostage situation and it’s horrible. Three young men from a short while ago, and they’re emaciated, they look like Holocaust survivors. They were treated really badly. Now they're sending the most healthy people out because they don't want to send the least healthy people out."
Asked about his statements that Hamas should release all hostages by Saturday, Trump explained "I don't want to do two [hostages] and then we do another two and another week, and then we do 4 and 3 weeks. No, no. They either have them out by Saturday at 12:00 or all bets are off."
When asked if he would guarantee that Israel would not annex Judea and Samaria, Trump answered that the issue "will work out very well, I think it will work out automatically and it's in good shape. We discussed it, and other people have discussed it with me. The West Bank is going to work out very well."
As he greeted the King, he was asked about his statement that all hostages must be returned to Israel by Saturday and answered that he still stands behind his words.