Trump doubles down on Gaza takeover idea as Israel threatens to restart war with Hamas

The fate of the ceasefire in Gaza seems fragile after Israel threatened to restart the war unless Hamas releases all Israeli hostages by Saturday. The overall fate of Gaza was the focus of an Oval Office meeting between President Trump and Jordan’s King Abdullah in which Trump vowed to “take” the enclave. Nick Schifrin reports.

Amna Nawaz:

The fate of the cease-fire in Gaza appears fragile tonight, after Israel today threatened to restart the war unless Hamas releases all Israeli hostages by Saturday. The overall fate of Gaza was the focus of an Oval Office meeting between President Trump and Jordan's King Abdullah, in which Trump vowed to — quote — "take" the enclave.

Nick Schifrin reports.

Nick Schifrin:

Tonight, on the outskirts of Gaza, Israeli troops are once again preparing for war. Hamas is threatening to delay an upcoming hostage release because it says Israel is withholding tents.

So, today, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu replied with his own threat.

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister (through interpreter):

If Hamas does not return our hostages by Saturday noon, the cease-fire will end, and the military will return to intense fighting until Hamas is finally defeated.

Nick Schifrin:

The Hamas-Israel agreement, facilitated by the Biden and Trump administrations, called for the gradual release of hostages over months. The new deadline was first set by President Trump after he saw the condition of released Israeli hostages.

Donald Trump, President of the United States: They are emaciated. They look like Holocaust survivors. So I don't want to do two, and then we do another two in another week, and then we do four in three weeks now. No, no, they either have them out by Saturday at 12:00 or all bets are off.

Nick Schifrin:

Trump spoke in the Oval Office with Jordanian King Abdullah and reiterated his vision of U.S. ownership over Gaza.

Donald Trump:

We don't have to buy. There's nothing to buy. We will have Gaza. No reason to buy. There is nothing to buy. It's Gaza. It's a war-torn area. We're going to take it. We're going to hold it. We're going to cherish it.

Question:

And, Mr. President, take it under what authority? It is sovereign territory.

Donald Trump:

Under the U.S. authority.

Nick Schifrin:

Egypt's foreign minister is in Washington, and Egyptian officials tell "PBS News Hour" they're developing a — quote — "alternative proposal," no displacement of Gazans. Local Gazans with no political affiliation would provide both security and governance, with the hope of transitioning to the Palestinian Authority.

On X this afternoon, King Abdullah wrote: "I reiterated Jordan's steadfast position against the displacement of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank."

Forcing them to leave would be a war crime. But, today, President Trump said all Gazans would choose to leave, and Jordan and Egypt would accept them.

Donald Trump:

I believe we will have a parcel of land in Jordan. I believe we will have a parcel of land in Egypt. They don't want to be there. They have no alternative. When they have no alternative, not one person will want to stay where they are. Nobody wants to stay there. They're living in hell.

Nick Schifrin:

In Gaza's Jabalia refugee camp, the Massouds might be living in the rubble, but they say they're not going anywhere.

Sabrine Massoud, Displaced Palestinian (through interpreter):

We reject displacement, even if we continue living on rubble. The rubble of our homes, the rubble of our ancestors, the homes of our ancestors, our country, our country that is dear to our hearts.

Nick Schifrin:

More than half of Gaza's two million people are children. Today, Jordan promised to evacuate 2,000 of the sickest, apparently convincing President Trump to drop previous threats against Jordan and Egypt.

Question:

Mr. President, would you still consider withholding aid to those countries if they don't accept your plans to accept…

(Crosstalk)

Doanld Trump:

Well, I don't want to say that, because we have had such a good relationship, and we're doing so well just in the short time that we have been talking.

I don't have to threaten with money. We do. We contribute a lot of money to Jordan and to Egypt, by the way, a lot, to both. But I don't have to threaten that. I don't think — I think we're above that. I do believe we're above that.

Nick Schifrin:

Trump's proposal has shocked the Middle East and is perhaps impossible to execute, but what it has done, put regional leaders on the spot to publicly come up with their own plan.

For the "PBS News Hour," I'm Nick Schifrin.