As reported by NBC, the U.S. federal administration is working on a plan to permanently relocate one million Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to Libya.
According to the sources, U.S. officials have already discussed this with Libyan colleagues, and now the parties are reportedly evaluating the feasibility of the project. In exchange for resettling the Palestinians, the Trump administration could potentially release to Libya billions of dollars in funds that the United States froze more than a decade ago.
The initiative in question is part of President Trump’s broader plan for an eventual post-war Gaza, which, as he stated months ago would be rebuilt as the “Riviera of the Middle East.” At the time, spokesmen for the State Department and the National Security Council denied the news, saying, “The situation on the ground is untenable for such a plan. Such a plan was not discussed and makes no sense”, but according to three anonymous sources close to the White House, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has also been informed of the plan.
Libya has been plagued by instability and conflict between various political factions for nearly 14 years, which is since the country’s historic dictator Muammar Gaddafi was toppled. At present, two rival factions, one in the west led by Abdul Hamid Dbeibah and one in the east headed by Khalifa Haftar, vie for control of the nation.
On its webpage, the U.S. State Department advises Americans against traveling to Libya, “due to crime, terrorism, unexploded mines, civil unrest, kidnapping, and armed conflict.”
Several insiders have wondered how many Palestinians might abandon their homes to move to Libya voluntarily. According to sources close to the Trump administration, the U.S. would be considering providing these people with financial incentives such as free housing and even a stipend to persuade them to leave Gaza. Such an effort would likely be extremely expensive and it is unclear how the Trump administration plans to fund it.
Basem Naim, a senior official of Hamas, the terrorist group that controls Gaza, stated that he was not aware of any discussions about the potential relocation of Palestinians to Libya.
“Palestinians are very rooted in their homeland, very strongly committed to the homeland and they are ready to fight up to the end and to sacrifice anything to defend their land, their homeland, their families, and the future of their children,” Naim said.
