Washington, DC – Scenes of jubilation and tearful reunions are unfolding across the Gaza Strip, as hundreds of thousands of displaced people march back to their homes in the north of the territory.A fragile ceasefire after 15 months of war in Gaza has made the return possible. But as rights advocates hail a rare case of reverse displacement in Palestinian history, United States President Donald Trump has called for transferring Gaza’s entire population to Egypt and Jordan.
“You’re talking about probably a million and a half people,” Trump told reporters. “We just clean out that whole thing and say: ‘You know, it’s over.’”
Analysts say Trump’s proposal would amount to ethnic cleansing, but it is unlikely to materialise, given the geopolitical realities in the region.
Yousef Munayyer, head of the Palestine/Israel programme at the Arab Center Washington DC, said Trump’s “outrageous” statement should be condemned for violating all norms and basic rights.
He added, however, it should also be taken with a degree of scepticism. Advertisement
“Trump says all kinds of things,” Munayyer explained. “Sometimes, they’re things that he means. Sometimes, they’re things that he doesn’t mean. Sometimes, they’re things that he heard in a conversation that he had five minutes ago. Sometimes, they’re things that he thinks he heard but misunderstood.”
Munayyer said the idea of ethnically cleansing Gaza is not new and has been circulating since the war broke out in October 2023.
But talks of displacing Palestinians into Egypt, the only Arab country that borders the territory, have been swift …
