President Trump has repeated his claim that the United States is preparing to take control of the Gaza Strip and “own” it, while permanently displacing the territory’s entire population of more than 2 million Palestinians. Trump made the comments as he hosted Jordan’s King Abdullah for talks on Gaza at the White House on Tuesday.

President Donald Trump: “We’re going to have Gaza. We don’t have to buy. There’s nothing to buy. We will have Gaza.”

Reporter: “What does that mean?”

President Donald Trump: “There’s no reason to buy. There is nothing to buy. It’s Gaza. It’s a war-torn area. We’re going to take it.”

After meeting with Trump, King Abdullah wrote in a statement, “I reiterated Jordan’s steadfast position against the displacement of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. This is the unified Arab position.” 

Meanwhile, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has postponed a planned visit to Washington, D.C., scheduled for next week, after Trump threatened to cut off aid to Jordan and Egypt unless the countries agree to receive Palestinians expelled from Gaza. A senior Egyptian diplomat told The New Arab newspaper that any cut in U.S. aid would threaten Egypt’s 1979 peace treaty with Israel.