An idea floated by US President Donald Trump to move Gazans to Egypt or Jordan faced a renewed backlash Tuesday as hundreds of thousands of Gazans displaced by the Israel-Hamas war returned to their devastated neighbourhoods.

A fragile ceasefire and hostage release deal took effect earlier this month, intended to end more than 15 months of war that began with Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.

After the ceasefire came into force, Trump touted a plan to "clean out" the Gaza Strip, reiterating the idea on Monday as he called for Palestinians to move to "safer" locations such as Egypt or Jordan.

The US president has repeatedly claimed credit for sealing the truce deal after months of fruitless negotiations.

Trump invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House next Tuesday, the premier's office said in a statement.

"Prime Minister Netanyahu is the first foreign leader to be invited to the White House during US President Trump's second term," the statement said.

Jordan, which has a tumultuous history with Palestinian movements, on Tuesday renewed its rejection of Trump's proposal.

"We emphasise that Jordan's national security dictates that the Palestinians must remain on their land and that the Palestinian people must not be subjected to any kind of forced displacement whatsoever," Jordanian government........

© Al Monitor