The US and Israel have contacted officials of three East African countries to discuss using their territories for resettling Palestinians from Gaza, the Associated Press reported on Friday, citing US and Israeli officials.
Officials stated that Sudan rejected the offer, while Somalia and Somaliland said they weren’t aware of any offer, KAN reported.
In February, when US President Donald Trump met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office, Trump proposed a controversial plan of the US “taking over” Gaza, relocating the Palestinian population, and turning the war-torn strip into the “Riviera of the Middle East.”
During the meeting, Trump told The Jerusalem Post that he believed Jordan and Egypt “won’t tell [him] no” when asked to welcome Gazan refugees.”
“They won’t tell me no. I want to remove all the residents of Gaza,” he responded. “It will happen.”
Proposal rejection
However, both countries have also rejected the proposal, with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordanian King Abdullah agreeing that Gaza should be rebuilt without displacing Palestinians, as reported by Egypt’s presidency during a phone call between the two, the Post quoted.
Instead, Egypt offered up its own $53 billion reconstruction plan for Gaza, which was presented at an Arab League summit in Cairo last week.
According to a previous article from the Post, the proposal would allow Palestinians to remain in Gaza during a five-year phased approach to reconstructing Gaza, with a focus on rebuilding infrastructure, housing, and essential services. The plan would also exclude Hamas from any future leadership role.
Israel and the US have since rejected this proposal as it does not provide a clear path for Hamas to transition out of power, and it also fails to address security and long-term governance issues.
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