As survivors in Gaza begin to return to their homes during the first ceasefire in over a year, we speak to Sharif Abdel Kouddous of Drop Site News about the future of those who have been displaced. As Palestinians are “returning to a devastated landscape … determined not to leave their land” in defiance of “plans of ethnic cleansing that have dated back to the 1950s for Israel,” President Trump told reporters that he wants to “clean out” Gaza, suggesting that Palestinian Arabs should be ethnically cleansed into Egypt and Jordan. Both countries have “rejected this, and they’ve done so since the beginning of this genocidal assault,” says Kouddous.

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.

AMY GOODMAN: Tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians are returning home to the north of Gaza for the first time since they were forced to flee their homes at the start of Israel’s war on Gaza over a year ago. A river of people that stretched for miles walked north along Gaza’s coastal road Monday carrying what’s left of their possessions. Most Palestinians will be returning to find their homes reduced to rubble. The U.N. estimates 92% of homes in Gaza have been destroyed or damaged over the last 16 months.

President Trump is facing accusations of supporting ethnic cleansing in Gaza after saying he wants to, quote, “clean out the whole thing.” Trump called for Egypt and Jordan to take in Palestinians living in Gaza, while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One Saturday. He told the reporters he had spoken to King Abdullah of Jordan.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: I said to him, “I’d love you to take on more,” because I’m looking at the whole Gaza Strip right now, and it’s a mess. It’s a real mess.

REPORTER: So, you’d like Jordan to house people from Gaza?

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: To take people. I’d like Egypt to take people. I’m meeting with — I’m talking to General el-Sisi tomorrow sometime, I believe. And I’d like Egypt to take people, and I’d like Jordan to take people. I could — I mean, you’re talking about probably a million and a half people. And we just clean out that whole thing. It’s — you know, it’s — over the centuries, that’s — that’s many, many conflicts, that site. And I don’t know. It’s — something has to happen. But it’s literally a demolition site right now. Almost everything’s demolished.

AMY GOODMAN: Egypt and Jordan have both rejected Trump’s suggestion and emphasized a two-state solution ensuring Palestinian statehood is the only way forward. Hamas and displaced Palestinians in Gaza also rejected the idea of being forced out of Gaza. This is Magdy Seidam, a Palestinian waiting to return to northern Gaza.

MAGDY SEIDAM: [translated] The call by the U.S. president is completely rejected. Completely. Completely. If he thinks he will forcibly displace the Palestinian people, this is impossible. Impossible. The Palestinian people firmly believe that this land is theirs, this soil is their soil. No matter how much Israel tries to destroy, break and to show people that it had won, in reality, it did not win. It destroyed and ruined things and showed the people that it is a failed state.

AMY GOODMAN: Trump’s suggestion that more than a million Palestinians should be moved out of Gaza to neighboring Arab states weren’t his first controversial comments on Gaza since returning to office. Shortly after his inauguration last week, Trump said he is, quote, “not confident” the ceasefire will remain in place. He said Gaza appeared to be a, quote, “massive demolition site” that should be rebuilt.

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: You know, Gaza is interesting. It’s a phenomenal location: on the sea, the best weather. You know, everything is good. It’s like — some beautiful things could be done with it. But it’s very interesting. But some fantastic things could be done with Gaza.

AMY GOODMAN: For........

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