Palestinians condemn Trump’s proposal to ‘cleanse’ Gaza News about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

Palestinians have strongly condemned United States President Donald Trump’s proposal to be displaced from the Gaza Strip and sent to Egypt and Jordan – a proposal that raised concerns about ethnic cleansing.

Trump told reporters on Saturday that it was time to “clean up” the besieged Gaza Strip, calling on the leaders of Jordan and Egypt to accept Palestinians from Gaza, either temporarily or permanently.

Palestinians strongly rejected the proposal on Sunday, with the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority (PA) saying the proposal would violate its “red lines”, while Gazans insisted they would remain in the coastal enclave.

“It is impossible for people to accept this,” Palestinian citizen Nafiz Halawa told Al Jazeera from Nuseirat in central Gaza. “The weak might leave because of the suffering they have endured, but the thought of us leaving our country… that is absolutely impossible.”

Elham al-Shabli also dismissed the idea. “If we wanted to leave, we would have done it a long time ago. The genocidal war that they are waging will achieve nothing against the Palestinians and we will remain despite what happens,” she said.

The PA said in a statement that the plan “represents a clear breach of the red lines we have repeatedly warned about”.

“We emphasize that the Palestinian people will never leave their land or their holy places and we will not allow a repetition disasters (Nakba) in 1948 and 1967. Our people will remain steadfast and will not leave their homeland,” it said.

It calls on Trump to maintain a cease-fire agreement in Gaza, ensure the full withdrawal of Israeli forces, establish the PA as the governing body in the enclave, and advance efforts toward the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state.

Hamas, the Palestinian group that governs Gaza, said the US administration must abandon such proposals, which are in line with Israeli “schemes” and conflict with the rights of the Palestinian people, who are already resisting the “most heinous acts of genocide” and displacement since Israel began war against Gaza in October 2023.

Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), which has been fighting alongside Hamas in Gaza for more than 15 months, called Trump’s comments encouraging “war crimes.”

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said “rejection of displacement is fixed and unchanging” and that Amman would look forward to working with the Trump administration to advance efforts toward recognizing a sovereign Palestinian state.

Senior Republican Senator Lindsey Graham also appeared to be affected by Trump’s comments, who said during an interview with US CNN that he did not consider the idea “too practical” and believed that Arab countries in the region would reject it.

Israel is preventing a return to northern Gaza

Trump’s comments come a week after a cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas in Gaza came into force, with two rounds of prisoner-for-prisoner exchanges completed.

But thousands of Palestinians waited at roadblocks on Sunday to return to their homes in northern Gaza as Israel refused to open the crossings after accusing Hamas of violating a ceasefire agreement.

Israel said it would open the crossings after Israeli civilian prisoner Arbel Yehud, held by the PIJ in Gaza, is freed. He says that according to the armistice agreement, the civilian prisoners should have been released before the soldiers.

PIJ told Al Jazeera on Sunday that Yehud would be released before Saturday in exchange for 30 Palestinian prisoners.

PIJ Deputy Secretary General Mohammed al-Hindi also said his group was “waiting for a practical answer” from mediators on how Palestinians would be allowed to return to their homes in northern Gaza.

Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Gaza’s al-Rasheed Street crossing, said there were “no tents” to shelter displaced people.

“There is no place for them here; there is no tent. “Most people are staying here because they dismantled their tents, because they thought that after the four Israeli prisoners were released, they would be able to cross over to the northern part of the Strip, as agreed,” he said.

“But it looks like he’ll have to sleep here again tonight.”