US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has unequivocally dismissed the notion of forcibly removing Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, asserting that they should have the right to remain even as Israel confronts Hamas.
Blinken is undertaking an urgent visit to the Middle East following a brutal attack by Hamas on October 7 inside Israel, resulting in over 1,400 casualties, predominantly civilians. In response, retaliatory actions have led to the death of at least 2,670 individuals.
Amid Israel’s directive for over one million Gazans to evacuate the northern part of the enclave in anticipation of a ground invasion, certain Israeli politicians have suggested the idea of relocating Palestinians to neighbouring Egypt.
“I’ve heard directly from Palestinian Authority President (Mahmud) Abbas and from virtually every other leader that I’ve talked to in the region that that idea is a nonstarter, and so we do not support it,” Blinken said in an interview in Cairo with the Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya television network.
“We believe that people should be able to stay in Gaza, their home. But we also want to make sure that they’re out of harm’s way and that they’re getting the assistance they need,” he said.
Amid Israel’s directive for over one million Gazans to evacuate the northern part of the enclave in anticipation of a ground invasion, certain Israeli politicians have suggested the idea of relocating Palestinians to neighbouring Egypt.
Former Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Ayalon has urged Egypt to collaborate by establishing tent cities for Palestinians, citing the “almost endless space” available in Sinai, an expansive desert area once under Israeli control.
Egypt has firmly rejected the proposal, and during his visit, Blinken shifted his attention to exploring avenues for delivering humanitarian assistance to Gaza, the densely populated and economically disadvantaged territory governed by Hamas.
Abbas, who opposes Hamas and operates from the West Bank, cautioned Blinken on Friday that the expulsion of Gaza’s population would be akin to a “second Nakba,” which refers to the displacement and expulsion of over 760,000 Palestinians during the establishment of the Israeli state in 1948.
