Israel has initiated preparations for the departure of a significant number of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip in accordance with President Donald Trump's plan for the region. Egypt has launched a diplomatic effort behind the scenes to try to prevent the plan from moving forward.
The Trump administration has adjusted elements of the proposal following widespread international rejection, stating that the relocation of Palestinians would be temporary. However, specific details regarding the implementation timeline and process remain scarce.
The Palestinians have vehemently opposed Trump's proposal, expressing concerns that Israel may prevent refugees from returning and that the plan could lead to regional destabilization. Egypt has cautioned that such a plan might jeopardize its peace treaty with Israel, a crucial element of stability and American influence in the Middle East for many years.
Saudi Arabia, another key U.S. ally, has also rejected any mass transfer of Palestinians and emphasized that it will not normalize relations with Israel without the establishment of a Palestinian state encompassing Gaza.
While Trump and Israeli officials have portrayed the potential relocation from Gaza as voluntary, Palestinians have universally affirmed their determination to remain in their homeland. The repercussions of Palestinians refusing to leave remain unspecified by Trump and Israeli authorities.
Human Rights Watch and other organizations have criticized the plan, labeling it as 'ethnic cleansing' due to the forced relocation of an ethnic group's civilian population from a specific area.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has instructed the military to make arrangements to facilitate the emigration of large numbers of Palestinians from Gaza through land crossings, as well as special provisions for departure by sea and air.
Despite the absence of immediate signs of such preparations on the ground, Egypt has been engaged in a discreet campaign to oppose the plan. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has not publicly responded to Trump's proposal, which involves relocating most of Gaza's 2.3 million Palestinians and having the United States oversee the territory's reconstruction.
Egyptian officials have conveyed their resistance to the Trump administration and Israel, emphasizing that the peace deal with Israel is at risk. The rejection of similar proposals by Egypt during the conflict, as well as the recent stance against Trump's plan, underscores the country's commitment to Palestinian statehood in Gaza, the West Bank, and east Jerusalem.
Recent discussions involving top diplomats from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates have seen all five Arab nations opposing the transfer of Palestinians out of Gaza or the West Bank. Egypt's state-run daily, Al-Ahram, has highlighted the grave threat to Arab countries' independence, unity, and territorial integrity.
For more updates on the ongoing conflict, visit AP's war coverage.
