Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently welcomed Trump’s apparent shift in tone regarding the Gaza plan, following his statement that Palestinians will not be expelled from Gaza, according to a statement on Thursday, 13 March.
The ministry noted that Trump’s statement reflects his understanding of the importance of pursuing fair and lasting solutions for the Palestinian cause. It also called for building on Trump’s global peace initiative to uphold the rights of the Palestinian people and establish a Palestinian state.
Trump made the comments on Wednesday during a press conference in the Oval Office with Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin. When a reporter from Voice of America asked about his plan to expel Palestinians from Gaza, Trump responded, “Nobody is expelling Palestinians from Gaza.”
Since February, Trump has faced international criticism following a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, where he announced that the US would “take over the Gaza Strip” and transform it into the “Riviera of the Middle East.”
According to Trump’s plan, Egypt and Jordan would serve as primary locations for resettling displaced Palestinians, with no option for them to return to Gaza afterward. This was met with strong opposition, as it disregards the rights of Palestinians to remain in their homeland and would uproot an entire population from its ancestral land.
Both Egypt and Jordan, key regional players, have expressed concern about the feasibility and ethics of the plan, emphasizing that any lasting solution must include the establishment of a Palestinian state, not forced displacement.
In a historic gathering on March 4 in Cairo, Arab leaders convened for an Extraordinary Arab Summit to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis and devastation in Gaza following months of Israeli bombardment.
The Arab League and European nations have since then endorsed Egypt’s recovery plan for Gaza, which outlines a multi-phase roadmap focused on rebuilding infrastructure, revitalizing the economy, and ensuring sustainable governance.
Since October 7, 2023, Israeli forces have killed more than 47,000 Palestinians in Gaza, including over 13,000 children and 7,200 women. As a result, more than two million Gazans have been displaced, now facing severe shortages of food, water, and medical supplies.
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