Palestinians Reject Trump's Gaza Displacement Plan

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the militant group Hamas have condemned US President Donald Trump's proposal to forcibly displace Gaza’s population, which he suggested as part of efforts to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the region. The plan, which Trump described as an attempt to "clean out" Gaza, has sparked fierce opposition from Palestinian leaders and regional allies.

In the midst of this, Palestinian sources indicated that a potential resolution to a dispute over a hostage-prisoner swap under the Israel-Hamas truce agreement could soon allow thousands of displaced Palestinians to return to northern Gaza. The swap, which saw the release of four Israeli soldiers and 200 Palestinian prisoners on Saturday, marks the second such exchange since the truce began.

After more than a year of intense conflict, Trump called Gaza a "demolition site" and mentioned his discussions with King Abdullah II of Jordan regarding the potential relocation of Palestinians to other countries, including Egypt and Jordan.

Abbas, based in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, strongly rejected any initiatives to displace Palestinians from Gaza, asserting that they would not abandon their land or sacred sites. Hamas also vowed to resist such proposals, calling them an attempt to create an "alternative homeland," a sentiment echoed by Islamic Jihad, which has fought alongside Hamas in Gaza.

For Palestinians, any move to displace them evokes painful memories of the 1948 "Nakba," or catastrophe, when hundreds of thousands were forced to flee their homes during the establishment of Israel.

Trump's remarks, made aboard Air Force One, suggested the displacement could be either temporary or long-term, with Gaza's 2.4 million residents potentially relocated. Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich supported the proposal, describing it as "a great idea."

The Arab League swiftly rejected the plan, calling forced displacement "ethnic cleansing," while Jordan and Egypt reaffirmed their stance against any attempts to displace Palestinians.

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza remains dire, with almost all of the territory’s residents displaced by the ongoing conflict. Despite the fragile truce, Israel has blocked the passage of Palestinians attempting to return to northern Gaza, citing the need for the release of Israeli hostage Arbel Yehud. Hamas has claimed that it has provided guarantees for Yehud’s release, and sources indicated that a resolution to the situation is imminent.

As the truce enters its second week, discussions over the fate of hostages continue. While aid has flowed into Gaza, the United Nations has warned that the situation remains critically severe, with tens of thousands of deaths and widespread destruction.

Meanwhile, tensions persist along Israel's northern border with Lebanon, where Israeli forces have reportedly killed nearly two dozen people, as ceasefire violations continue between Israel and Hezbollah.