President Donald Trump on Monday said he would consider withholding military aid to Egypt and Jordan if they refuse to take in Palestinian refugees as part of his plan to rebuild the Gaza Strip. 

Trump announced last week that the U.S. would take over the Gaza Strip and be responsible for clearing all of the unexploded ordinances. But he did not divulge a budget plan for the mission.

Trump declined to commit to withholding aid when asked during a gaggle at the White House whether he would withhold aid to the Middle Eastern countries if they do not take in Palestinians, but said it was a conceivable option. Both are top recipients of U.S. military funding. 

“Yeah, maybe. Sure, why not?” Trump responded. “If they don’t agree, I would conceivably withhold aid. Yeah.”

The response comes after the U.S. promised in 2022 to provide Jordan with more than $1 billion annually in foreign assistance as part of a memorandum the U.S. and Jordan signed. The U.S. also gave Egypt $1.5 billion in fiscal year 2023, according to The Hill. Both were under the Biden administration.

The comment also comes ahead of Trump's planned meeting with King Abdullah II of Jordan on Tuesday to discuss his potential plan with Gaza.

Trump also told Fox News in an interview that aired Monday that Palestinians won't have the automatic right to return to the region after the U.S. restores it.

“No, they wouldn’t, because they’re going to have much better housing ... much better,” Trump said.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.