U.S. President Donald Trump has advocated for the relocation of Palestinians from Gaza to countries with a majority of Muslims, such as Egypt and Jordan, since he took office. The plan is still the main topic of conversation in Israeli media, even though Palestinians and Arab officials have strongly opposed it.
Hardline Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has backed the proposal, claiming that the people of Gaza should be assisted in “starting a new and better life” elsewhere because they have been imprisoned in terrible conditions for decades. In a similar vein, senior military correspondent Yossi Yehoshua of Yedioth Ahronoth said that “voluntary exile” from Gaza would be something to think about. Trump escalated the issue further during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, announcing that the U.S. may assume control over Gaza for the foreseeable future.Â
Concerns of Ethnic Cleansing
Since Israel began its war on Gaza in October 2023, there have been increasing concerns about a major exodus of Palestinians from the area. Many were concerned that forced relocation might spread outside of Gaza, even including Palestinians in the West Bank, Jerusalem, and even those inside Israel’s 1948 boundaries, given the degree of Western support for Israel. An October 2023 memo from the Israeli Intelligence Ministry, written by Minister Gila Gamliel, suggested moving Palestinians from Gaza to the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt, which heightened these concerns. The most “strategically beneficial” alternative among the post-war scenarios described in the study was forceful deportation. Arab leaders, however, have strongly denounced the initiative. A coalition of foreign ministers and officials from Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, the Palestinian Authority, and the Arab League issued a joint statement rejecting any efforts to displace Palestinians. They warned that such actions would destabilize the region and undermine peace efforts. Even Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, often aligned with U.S. policies, opposed the plan, cautioning that Egyptians would take to the streets in protest.Â
Palestinian Defiance
The Palestinians have shown incredible fortitude in the face of the destruction of Gaza. Whole communities have been reduced to rubble in northern Gaza; all types of buildings, from homes and schools to hospitals, were devastated. In a surprising show of resilience, hundreds of thousands of displaced people started returning to their villages that were destroyed. One particularly poignant image of an 80-year-old man returning to his destroyed home in northern Gaza, brought up memories of the 1948 Nakba, in which hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were forced to flee their homes by Zionist militias. Today’s return, however, conveys a message of resistance: Palestinians will not vanish under any conditions, in contrast to the hopelessness of that previous exodus.
Israeli Media Reacts
Israeli media are uneasy about this surge of Palestinian return. “Something about the Gazans returning, despite everything, drives me crazy,” said Moriah Asraf, political correspondent for Channel 13, who said that he was uncomfortable seeing Gazans recovering their destroyed houses. The situation was also bemoaned by Ynet security correspondent Matan Zuri, who said, “Thousands of Palestinians have returned to the devastated northern Gaza Strip.” For now, the hope of a new Jewish settlement has diminished. We were forced to accept this as we knew it would occur.
The Road Ahead
The tenacity of Gaza’s citizens continues to thwart attempts to evict them as events develop. Trump’s resettlement plan and Israel’s larger policy are strongly opposed by the picture of Palestinians returning, even to bombed-out ruins. One message is evident even though the future is still unclear: Palestinians are unwavering in their commitment to their homeland in the face of conflict, displacement, and devastation.
