Egypt’s urgent diplomatic campaign: Egypt sounded an alarm of warning on Monday against plans reportedly readied by former US President Donald Trump to relocate Palestinians from Gaza, saying that any forced displacement might destabilize the region and breach its long-standing peace treaty with Israel. The intent by Israel has faced international criticism as preparations for a large-scale departure of Palestinians from the war-torn enclave reportedly began.
A contentious plan unveiled through a social media post by Trump claims to resettle Palestinians in “safer and more modern communities” as Gaza is set to undergo redevelopment under the U.S. administration. However, the move has faced sharp criticism from Palestinians, human rights organizations, and multiple nations, which have feared it would strip Palestinians of their homeland for good.
Trump administration officials, including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, have insisted that the relocation be temporary. “Palestinians will live elsewhere in the interim while Gaza is rebuilt,” Rubio stated. However, no clear details have been provided on where the displaced population would be relocated or under what conditions they could return.
Egypt’s Warning and Regional Reactions
Egyptian officials privately confided that any forced mass migration of Palestinians would contravene international law and imperil the delicate balance forged by the fragile peace agreement between Cairo and Tel Aviv. The 1979 Egypt-Israel peace treaty has been one of the cornerstones of regional stability and U.S. diplomatic influence. Egyptian sources continue to say Cairo has led international lobbying against the plan and pressured Israel to abandon any form of forced transfer.
Another major U.S. ally, Saudi Arabia, has also taken a hard line against the normalization of relations with Israel unless a Palestinian state that includes Gaza is created. This is a threat to one of the main foreign policy objectives of the Trump administration, namely an Israeli-Saudi peace agreement.
Preparations of Israel and Human Rights Issues
Despite an ever-growing opposition, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz confirmed that there were military preparations to help the Palestinians emigrate. According to him, the officials were already exploring arrangements for land, sea, and air departures. However, as yet, no signs of such preparation have been seen on the ground.
Human rights groups, including Human Rights Watch, have branded the plan as a potential act of “ethnic cleansing,” saying that forced displacement would violate international humanitarian law. Palestinian leaders have threatened to resist any attempts to dislodge them from their homeland, raising concerns about an already volatile region’s further escalation.
As international pressure mounts, the future of Gaza’s population remains uncertain, with fears of a humanitarian crisis growing as diplomatic efforts continue.
