The Trump administration is exploring a plan to permanently relocate up to 1 million Palestinians from Gaza to Libya, according to NBC News. This comes as the administration is seeking to find a resolution in the Israel-Hamas war.
The outlet cited five people familiar with the plans and reported that discussions have occurred between the US and Libyan leadership, potentially involving the release of billions in frozen US funds as an incentive. However, a final agreement between the US and Libya has not been reached, and Israel is reportedly informed of the discussions.
A spokesman for Hamas, the terrorist organization that controls Gaza, stated they are unaware of such plans. "Palestinians are very rooted in their homeland, very strongly committed to the homeland and they are ready to fight up to the end and to sacrifice anything to defend their land, their homeland, their families, and the future of their children,” Hamas spokesman Basem Naim said. He said that "[Palestinians] are exclusively the only party who have the right to decide for the Palestinians."
It is not clear exactly how the plans will be carried out, and it has not been determined where the Palestinians will be resettled, the outlet reported. Moving the group would be costly as well as difficult.
Earlier this year, Trump said that the US would seek to build a “Riviera of the Middle East” in the area of Gaza, and the sources who spoke to the outlet said that the relocation would be part of that plan. “We’re going to take over that piece, develop it and create thousands and thousands of jobs, and it will be something the entire Middle East can be proud of,” Trump added at the time.
The outlet cited five people familiar with the plans and reported that discussions have occurred between the US and Libyan leadership, potentially involving the release of billions in frozen US funds as an incentive. However, a final agreement between the US and Libya has not been reached, and Israel is reportedly informed of the discussions.
A spokesman for Hamas, the terrorist organization that controls Gaza, stated they are unaware of such plans. "Palestinians are very rooted in their homeland, very strongly committed to the homeland and they are ready to fight up to the end and to sacrifice anything to defend their land, their homeland, their families, and the future of their children,” Hamas spokesman Basem Naim said. He said that "[Palestinians] are exclusively the only party who have the right to decide for the Palestinians."
It is not clear exactly how the plans will be carried out, and it has not been determined where the Palestinians will be resettled, the outlet reported. Moving the group would be costly as well as difficult.
Earlier this year, Trump said that the US would seek to build a “Riviera of the Middle East” in the area of Gaza, and the sources who spoke to the outlet said that the relocation would be part of that plan. “We’re going to take over that piece, develop it and create thousands and thousands of jobs, and it will be something the entire Middle East can be proud of,” Trump added at the time.
