CAIRO — Israel has reportedly initiated plans for the relocation of Palestinians from Gaza, even though President Donald Trump’s proposal to evacuate the territory has faced widespread international disapproval. In response to these developments, Egypt has been actively pursuing diplomatic efforts to counter the proposal, voicing concerns that such actions could jeopardize its longstanding peace agreement with Israel, as stated by officials.
Trump administration representatives are attempting to soften the terms of the contentious relocation plan, emphasizing that any movement of Palestinians would be temporary. However, details regarding this assertion remain vague. A social media statement from Trump on Thursday suggested that the Palestinians would be “relocated to safer and more attractive communities, complete with new, modern housing,” with Israel eventually transferring control of Gaza to the United States. He asserted that no American military personnel would be needed for this redevelopment effort. Shortly thereafter, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated that any relocations would only be temporary, allowing Palestinians to reside “somewhere else in the interim” while Gaza undergoes cleanup and reconstruction.
The Palestinian response to Trump’s proposal has been one of strong opposition, with fears that Israel would not permit their return. Egypt has cautioned that a forced removal of Palestinians could lead to regional destabilization and compromise its peace treaty with Israel, a pillar of stability and American influence for decades. Saudi Arabia, a crucial U.S. ally, has similarly rejected the idea of mass resettlement, insisting it will not normalize relations with Israel—one of the administration’s key objectives—unless a Palestinian state, which includes Gaza, is established.
While Trump and Israeli authorities claim the proposed relocation from Gaza would be voluntary, Palestinians have expressed a unanimous resolve to remain in their homeland. There are no clear indications from Trump and Israeli representatives regarding their plans should Palestinians refuse to leave. Human Rights Watch and other organizations have characterized the proposal, if enacted, as an act of “ethnic cleansing,” denoting the forced removal of an ethnic group from a geographic region.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced on Thursday that he has instructed the military to devise strategies to facilitate the emigration of a significant number of Palestinians from Gaza via land crossings, as well as to arrange for departures by sea and air. However, there have been no immediate visible signs of such preparations on the ground.
In the backdrop, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has not made any public comments regarding Trump’s surprising proposal that would see many of Gaza’s 2.3 million Palestinians relocated while the U.S. oversees its reconstruction. Israel’s extensive military actions against the militant Hamas group had previously devastated large sections of Gaza prior to a temporary ceasefire established last month.
In a statement on Thursday, the Egyptian government denounced efforts to transfer Palestinians from Gaza as a “blatant violation” of international law, which could disrupt ongoing ceasefire negotiations and threaten regional relations. “This behavior incites the potential for renewed hostilities and poses risks to the entire region and the underpinnings of peace,” the statement read.
Anonymous Egyptian officials disclosed that Cairo clearly articulated its stance against the relocation proposal to the Trump administration and Israel, highlighting that the decades-old peace agreement with Israel could be at stake. Sources indicated that messages opposing the plan have been communicated to officials at the Pentagon, State Department, and members of Congress, as well as to Israel and its Western allies. A Western diplomat based in Cairo also confirmed that Egypt communicated its strong opposition through various channels, emphasizing its seriousness in rejecting the plan as a threat to national security.
Egypt had previously expressed disapproval of similar proposals from the Biden administration and European nations during the recent conflict, which was ignited by Hamas’s attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. While those discussions occurred privately, Trump’s announcement of his plan was made during a public conference alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Hamas, the governing authority in most of Gaza, has consistently condemned the U.S. proposal. On Thursday, the group stated that any American-led initiative to take over Gaza would be perceived as an occupation, suggesting potential armed resistance in response. Although Hamas has not directly connected its objections to Trump’s proposal with the ongoing ceasefire, it remains uncertain how it might affect the scheduled release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, which is expected to occur this Saturday.
When Trump initially presented his plan, he noted a desire to “permanently” resettle most of Gaza’s inhabitants elsewhere, envisioning the U.S. transforming it into a “Riviera of the Middle East” for all citizens. However, Egyptian officials contend that reconstruction efforts do not necessitate the relocation of Palestinians and remain committed to establishing a Palestinian state encompassing Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, all territories seized by Israel in the 1967 Middle East War.
The Israeli government opposes Palestinian statehood, asserting it will maintain continuous security oversight over both Gaza and the occupied West Bank. Israel’s annexation of East Jerusalem is regarded largely as illegitimate by the international community, which does not recognize the city as the capital of Israel.
Recently, Egypt convened a meeting involving top diplomats from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates—nations that played significant roles in brokering the 2020 Abraham Accords with Israel. All five Arab nations stood against the relocation of Palestinians either from Gaza or the West Bank.
In an editorial published Thursday, Al-Ahram, Egypt’s primary state-run newspaper, cautioned that “the independence of Arab countries, the unity of their peoples, and their territorial integrity are in substantial jeopardy.”
