Palestinians have roundly condemned United States President Donald Trump’s proposal for them to be displaced from the Gaza Strip and sent to Egypt and Jordan – a suggestion that has raised concerns of ethnic cleansing.
Trump on Saturday told reporters that it was time to “clean out” the besieged Gaza Strip, urging the leaders of Jordan and Egypt to take in Palestinians from Gaza, either temporarily or permanently.
The proposal was roundly rejected by Palestinians on Sunday, with the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority (PA) saying the proposal would violate its “red lines”, while Gaza residents insisted they would remain in the coastal enclave.
“It’s impossible for people to accept this,” Palestinian citizen Nafiz Halawa told Al Jazeera from Nuseirat in central Gaza. “The weak might leave because of the suffering they have endured, but the idea of us leaving our country … it’s absolutely impossible.”
Elham al-Shabli also rejected the idea. “If we wanted to leave, we would have done that a long time ago. The genocidal war they are waging will achieve nothing against the Palestinians and we will remain despite what happens,” she said.
The PA said in a statement that the plan “constitutes a blatant violation of the red lines we have consistently warned against”.
“We emphasise that the Palestinian people will never abandon their land or their holy sites, and we will not allow the repetition of the catastrophes (Nakba) of 1948 and 1967. Our people will remain steadfast and will not leave their homeland,” it said.
It urged Trump to sustain the Gaza ceasefire agreement, ensure full withdrawal of Israeli forces, establish the PA as the governing body in the enclave, and advance efforts towards the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state.
Hamas, the Palestinian group that governs Gaza, said the US administration must abandon such proposals that align with Israeli “schemes” and conflict with the rights of the Palestinian people, who have already been resisting “the most heinous acts of genocide” and displacement since Israel launched its war on Gaza in October 2023.
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), which has been fighting alongside Hamas in Gaza for over 15 months, called Trump’s comments an encouragement of “war crimes”.
Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said the country’s “rejection of displacement is fixed and unchangeable” and that Amman will look forward to working with the Trump administration in advancing efforts toward recognition of a sovereign Palestinian state.
Trump’s comments also appeared to catch senior Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who said during an interview with US outlet CNN that he does not view the idea “as being overly practical” and believes that Arab countries in the region would reject it.
Israel prevents return to northern Gaza
Trump’s comments come a week after a truce deal between Israel and Hamas in Gaza took effect, with two rounds of captives-for-prisoners exchanges completed.
But thousands of Palestinians waited at roadblocks on Sunday to return to their homes in northern Gaza as Israel refused to open crossing points after it accused Hamas of breaching the ceasefire agreement.
Israel said it would open the crossing points after Israeli civilian captive Arbel Yehud, who is held by the PIJ in Gaza, is released. It says that under the truce deal, civilian captives were to be freed before soldiers.
The PIJ told Al Jazeera on Sunday that Yehud will be released before Saturday in exchange for 30 Palestinian prisoners.
PIJ Deputy Secretary-General Mohammed al-Hindi also said his group is “waiting for a practical response” from the mediators on how Palestinians will be allowed to go back to their homes in north Gaza.
Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud, reporting from a crossing point on Gaza’s al-Rasheed Street, said there were “no tents” to provide shelter for the displaced people.
“There is no place for them here; there are no tents. Most people are staying here because they dismantled their tents, as they thought after the four Israeli captives were released, they would be able to cross into the northern part of the Strip, as agreed,” he said.
“But it looks like they’ll have to sleep here again tonight.”
