Palestinian leaders reacted with shock Wednesday to U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposal to evacuate Gaza’s population, rejecting the plan as an unacceptable violation of Palestinian rights.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas “categorically rejected calls for the takeover of Gaza and the forced displacement of Palestinians,” vowing that “the Palestinian people will never abandon their land—Gaza is an inseparable part of it.”
Trump-Netanyahu press conference
(Video: Reuters)
Abbas called Trump’s remarks “a grave breach of international law” and reiterated that peace and stability in the region would not be possible “without the establishment of a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders.”
A statement from Abbas’ office reaffirmed appreciation for “the firm and consistent Arab positions against displacement and annexation” and emphasized that the creation of a Palestinian state remains “a fundamental requirement for peace in the region.” Abbas traveled to Jordan on Thursday to discuss with King Abdullah ways to “block Trump’s proposal.”
Hussein al-Sheikh, Secretary-General of the PLO Executive Committee, echoed Abbas’ stance, saying “a two-state solution under international legitimacy and law is the only path to security, stability and peace.” He dismissed any plan to remove Palestinians from Gaza, adding, “We were born here, we have lived here and we reject all attempts to uproot us.”
Hamas also strongly condemned Trump’s statements, calling them an attempt to “occupy Gaza and expel its people.” A Hamas spokesperson said the remarks were “hostile to the Palestinian cause and would only inflame the region.” Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri warned that Trump’s claim that Gazans “have no choice but to leave” was “a recipe for chaos in the Middle East.”
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(Photo: AP Photo/Mohammad Abu Samra,AP Photo/Evan Vucci, Martin Sylvest / RITZAU SCANPIX / AFP, Chaim Goldber/Flash90)
Another senior Hamas figure, Izzat al-Rishq, vowed that Palestinians would resist any forced displacement, s, “Oayingur people in Gaza have thwarted expulsion plans under bombardment for over 15 months. They are rooted in their land and will not allow any plan to remove them.”
Israeli Arab lawmakers also denounced Trump’s proposal. MK Mansour Abbas of the United Arab List (Ra'am) dismissed it as “not a policy but a racist fantasy that normalizes the unacceptable.” He warned, “Forced transfer cannot happen without war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing.”
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MK Ahmad Tibi called Trump’s remarks “dangerous delusions,” adding, “Palestinians will remain in their homeland. Trump, like every president, will not remain in the White House forever.”
Egypt, one of the strongest opponents of Trump’s plan, has been working to counter it by accelerating Gaza’s reconstruction. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Ati met with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa on Wednesday, urging “fast-tracked humanitarian aid, debris removal and rehabilitation efforts—without displacing Palestinians from Gaza.”
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Humanitarian aid trucks making their way from Egypt to Gaza
(Photo: Khaled DESOUKI / AFP)
Abdel Ati reaffirmed Egypt’s full support for the Palestinian government and stressed the need to “strengthen the Palestinian Authority politically and economically.” During a visit to Turkey, he and his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan called for intensified international efforts to “ease suffering in Gaza while ensuring Palestinians remain on their land.”
A weekend meeting of Arab foreign ministers in Egypt ended with a joint statement emphasizing “rebuilding Gaza in a way that ensures Palestinians remain on their land.” The ministers declared, “Palestinian displacement is rejected—under any circumstances.”
Egypt has consistently opposed any displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, citing security, economic and political concerns. Cairo fears that an influx of Palestinians into Sinai could pose a national security risk, particularly by allowing armed elements to infiltrate its territory. Additionally, Egypt’s struggling economy makes absorbing a large refugee population unsustainable.
Despite this opposition, over 100,000 Palestinians have already entered Egypt since the start of the war.
'Trump can pave the sea'
Many in Gaza have reacted coolly to Trump’s proposal, with some blaming Hamas for creating the conditions that led to the plan being discussed.
Mustafa Ibrahim, a Palestinian writer from Gaza whose home was destroyed in the war, dismissed Trump’s idea outright. “Far from Trump’s slogans and threats—he doesn’t recognize the Palestinian people or the injustices they have endured since 1967. But we are staying here. The people of Gaza will not leave,” he said. “Trump can pave the sea if he wants—that’s all he has.”
Dr. Samith Shataat, a school principal from Khan Younis, questioned Trump’s thinking. “We can no longer understand this man’s personality,” he said. “He thinks outside the box, sometimes too far. His ideas feel like pure fantasy—either dreams or explosions. All he sees is money, real estate, investments, stocks and markets. It’s time for us Arabs, especially Palestinians, to think carefully about how to confront this imminent danger. We must wake up before it’s too late.”
Meanwhile, a Gazan now living in Europe—who fled after surviving an assassination attempt by Hamas due to his opposition to the group—suggested that Trump’s plan could work under certain conditions. “If the Trump administration and Israel, along with countries like Belgium, Cyprus and Turkey—where there are large Palestinian communities—facilitate family reunifications, it could immediately remove nearly 300,000 people from Gaza,” he said.
Prominent Gazan social media influencer Mohammed Al-Attar criticized Hamas for its role in the crisis. “We were thinking about post-war reconstruction, and now we’re facing total displacement,” he said. “Whoever drowned us in this ‘flood’ must be the one to pull us out of it—even if they sink themselves,” he added to the Hamas-given name to the October 7 attack—"al-Aqsa Flood."