Last Updated on June 19, 2025
The Gaza Palestinian Relocation Plan, reported in May 2025, involves the Trump administration exploring the transfer of up to 1 million Palestinians from Gaza to Libya.
“No comment,” a White House official told NBC News, sidestepping questions. For example, NBC News cited five sources claiming U.S. talks with Libyan leaders offered billions in frozen funds.
Contrary to the reports, the State Department has refuted them, stating that they are not true. In addition, the proposal is being driven by the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where more than 250 people have died from Israeli airstrikes in May 2025, and starvation has been exacerbated by aid blockades, as reported by Reuters.
“People are dying,” a UN official said. The Gaza relocation proposal raises concerns about U.S. policy.
A breaking news report reveals that the Trump administration is in the process of devising a plan to potentially move as many as 1 million Palestinians permanently from the Gaza Strip to Libya, according to five individuals familiar with the matter who spoke to NBC News.
— NBC News (@NBCNews) May 16, 2025
Libya Talks Spark Debate
The proposal for relocating Palestinians is contingent on the cooperation of Libya. Specifically, the United States has suggested releasing funds that were frozen over ten years ago, as reported by NBC News. Nevertheless, Libya’s Government of National Unity, headed by Abdul Hamid Dbeibah, is dealing with conflicting factions led by Khalifa Haftar.
For instance, Reuters reported clashes in Tripoli on May 16, 2025. In addition, the State Department warns of “crime, terrorism, and armed conflict” in Libya, complicating resettlement.
The U.S. Gaza migration plan struggles amid these challenges.
Relocating 1 million Palestinians 1,300 miles to Libya is daunting. For example, airlifts would require over 1,173 flights, per NBC News. Alternatively, land routes through Egypt span 1,300 miles. Moreover, sea ferries are an option.
However, Libya’s unrest, with ongoing factional conflicts, complicates execution. The Libya Palestinian resettlement remains uncertain without clear funding or infrastructure.
Hamas Opposes Proposal
Hamas rejects the Trump’s Gaza relocation effort. “Palestinians are rooted in their homeland,” official Basem Naim told NBC News, stressing Gazans’ right to stay despite airstrikes and starvation.
For example, Gaza’s Health Ministry reported over 250 deaths in May 2025.
Consequently, the lack of Palestinian consent fuels criticism.
Moreover, Hamas’s ceasefire talks complicate U.S. plans. The Gaza Palestinian Relocation Plan ignores local voices.
Global Criticism Grows
The Gaza Palestinian Relocation Plan draws backlash. For example, Jordan’s King Abdullah rejected displacing Palestinians, per The Times of Israel:
Jordan’s King Abdullah said on Wednesday he rejected any attempts to annex land and displace Palestinians after a shock proposal by President Donald Trump that the U.S. take over Gaza, an issue that strikes a raw nerve in the kingdom.
Trump said on Tuesday that under his plan Palestinians would be resettled elsewhere and Gaza would be developed economically, an idea that elicited widespread international condemnation.
Similarly, Egypt prioritized Gaza reconstruction. In addition, Senator Lindsey Graham called the plan “problematic,” per The Washington Post.
Furthermore, the U.S.’s 2011 NATO intervention in Libya fueled ongoing instability, per Reuters, raising concerns about relocating Palestinians to a region destabilized by prior U.S. actions.
As a result, the U.S.-Libya migration deal faces opposition. Who decides Gaza’s future?
