Egypt rejects Trump’s Gaza plan, pushes reconstruction without displacement

Egypt has announced plans to present a “comprehensive vision” for rebuilding the war-ravaged Gaza Strip, ensuring Palestinians remain on their land and rejecting U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal to relocate Gaza’s population to Jordan, Egypt, and other countries.

Following Trump’s meeting with Jordan’s King Abdullah on Tuesday, where he reaffirmed his plan for the U.S. to take control of Gaza, the Egyptian foreign ministry stated that Cairo would work toward “a just settlement of the Palestinian cause” in cooperation with the Trump administration. The ministry emphasized that Egypt’s plan would be aligned with the “legitimate and legal rights” of the Palestinian people.

Trump, sitting alongside King Abdullah at the White House, claimed his proposal would bring “stability in the Middle East for the first time.” He insisted, *”With the United States being in control of that piece of land… the Palestinians, or the people that live now in Gaza, will be living beautifully in another location.”* Abdullah, however, firmly rejected the idea, stating that it contradicted the *”unified Arab position.”*

The United Nations has warned that any forced displacement of Gaza’s population would violate international law and be *”tantamount to ethnic cleansing.”* Trump has suggested that U.S. aid to Jordan and Egypt could be halted if they refuse to cooperate with his plan. Despite this, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi reiterated in a phone call with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen that Gaza’s reconstruction must happen *”without displacing Palestinians.”*

Cairo is set to host an emergency Arab summit on February 27 to address the escalating crisis, while Saudi Arabia has invited regional leaders to Riyadh for further talks. Meanwhile, Egyptian security sources indicated that Sisi would not visit Washington if Trump’s relocation plan was on the agenda.

Palestinians in Gaza have voiced outrage over the U.S. proposal, fearing a repeat of the 1948 Nakba, when hundreds of thousands were displaced during Israel’s creation. Abeer Barakat, a Palestinian teacher in Gaza City, called Trump’s plan *”impossible to achieve,”* but admitted fears that *”Jordan and Egypt are going to bend from Trump’s threats.”*

Since Israel launched its military offensive on October 7, 2023, in response to Hamas’ cross-border attack, more than 48,220 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry. Nearly 70% of buildings have been damaged or destroyed, and much of the population has been repeatedly displaced amid ongoing shortages of food, water, and medical supplies. With tensions rising, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has threatened to resume attacks if Hamas does not return hostages by Saturday.