The administration of US President Donald Trump is working on an unprecedented plan to resettle up to one million Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to Libya, according to five people familiar with the project details of the NBC News.
It appears that this plan was seriously discussed within the corridors of the American administration, where two informed sources and a former US official confirmed that Washington opened dialogue channels with the Libyan authorities regarding the possibility of receiving this large number of Palestinian refugees. These endeavors come within the framework of a broader perception of the future of the Gaza Strip after the war, as the Trump administration seeks to reshape the demographic and political reality in the region.
Frozen money for resettlement
As part of the potential deal, the United States is considering release billions of dollars in Libyan funds that have been frozen for more than a decade, in exchange for Libya’s approval to receive the Palestinians, according to the sources. However, the agreement has not yet reached its final stages, and no official settlement has been announced yet. The sources confirmed that Israel was aware of these consultations, even if it did not announce an explicit position on it until the moment.
As for the US State Department and the National Security Council, they declined to comment despite the repeated press requests.
Palestinian refusal and the absence of transparency
For his part, Bassem Naim, one of the prominent leaders in the Hamas movement, denied the movement of the movement with any discussions of this kind, and commented: “The Palestinians are rooted in their land, and are ready to sacrifice for it. No one has the right to self -determination except themselves.” He stressed that the Palestinian people, including the inhabitants of Gaza, will not accept any solution imposed on them from abroad.
The complex Libyan reality
The idea of resettlement of a million people in Libya raised questions about the country’s ability to absorb this massive demographic burden, especially since Libya itself has been suffering since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi’s regime in 2011 from security chaos and conflict between two competing governments: one in the West led by Abdul Hamid Al -Duba, and another in the east led by Khalifa Haftar.
None of the Libyan sides commented on these leaks, while warnings from the US State Department continue not to travel to Libya because of the security risks.
Financial incentives and difficult transportation options
According to informed sources, the Trump administration suggested providing attractive financial incentives for the Palestinians, including free housing and monthly salaries, to encourage them to leave Gaza. However, the extent to which the Palestinians respond to such offers is still a major doubt, especially in light of the popular rejection of the idea of mass displacement.
As for the logistical aspect, the process of transferring this large number is a major challenge. For example, a million people are transported by a plane that requires more than 1170 Airbus A380 flights, the largest passenger plane in the world. Due to the lack of an airport in Gaza, it will be necessary to transfer them first to an airport in a neighboring country like Cairo.
The wild option requires a distance of 1300 miles from Gaza to the city of Benghazi, in eastern Libya, while maritime transport requires hundreds of flights across the Mediterranean, which is a cognitive option with climate and logistical challenges.
Trump’s post -war vision
The plan comes within the framework of Trump’s post -war vision in Gaza, where he previously stated that the United States is seeking to “possess” Gaza and turn it into “Rvira Middle East”. He said during an interview with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: “We want to develop Gaza and create thousands of jobs, but this can only be achieved if the Palestinians leave.”
He added: “We must search for an alternative place that makes people happy, as they live in safety, and they are not killed and not stabbed.”
These statements sparked angry reactions even within his administration, as Foreign Minister Marco Rubio was surprised by the offering, while Republican Senator Lindsay Graham described the plan as “a problem at many levels.”
Other options offered
The ideas of the American administration were not limited to Libya only. Sources indicated that Syria, after the overthrow of the Bashar al -Assad regime and Ahmed al -Sharaa, may be an alternative destination for resettlement of the Palestinians. In this context, Trump recently announced the lifting of sanctions on Syria and his meeting with the new leader, in a move that some have made as a political preparation for the resettlement option there.
International pressures and reservations
Many Arab countries have expressed reservations about the idea of forced resettlement of the Palestinians. The United States and Israel also rejected an Egyptian proposal for the reconstruction of Gaza without the need to displace the population. With the strained relations between Trump and Netanyahu due to the recent military operation in Gaza, the efforts of the American administration have become more complicated.
a summary
Although the plan is still in its initial stages, serious thinking about the resettlement of a million Palestinians outside their historical homeland raises a wave of anxiety and moral, political and logistical questions. It is not only a test of the realism of the Trump administration, but rather a real challenge to the principles of the Palestinian issue and the right to return.
