Reports have emerged that the Donald Trump administration is considering a controversial plan to permanently relocate as many as one million Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to Libya. According to White House sources cited by NBC News, the idea has been discussed with Libyan leadership and is being seriously considered as part of a broader diplomatic and security strategy.
In exchange for accepting displaced Palestinians, the US would release billions of dollars in funds frozen in Libya since the fall of former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. These frozen assets, reportedly totaling around $30 billion, have been withheld for over a decade due to Libya’s ongoing instability.
The proposal has surfaced amid a renewed and intense Israeli military offensive in Gaza, which has seen a dramatic rise in casualties. The Gaza health ministry reported over 100 deaths in recent airstrikes, many of whom were women and children.
Libya, however, remains deeply fractured and war-torn, governed by rival factions and plagued by ongoing conflict and insecurity. The US State Department continues to advise against travel to Libya, citing risks including terrorism, civil unrest, and armed conflict.
The relocation plan follows public comments by President Trump earlier this year when he suggested moving Gaza’s 2.3 million residents and transforming the territory into a “Riviera of the Middle East.” During his recent Gulf tour, Trump reiterated the need to “take care” of Gaza and spoke vaguely about turning the area into a “freedom zone,” without providing further details.
Meanwhile, Israel has escalated its military operations in Gaza, describing recent strikes as part of “opening moves” aimed at reclaiming strategic territory and securing the release of hostages held by Hamas. This offensive is a response to Hamas’s cross-border attack in October 2023, which killed approximately 1,200 Israelis and took 251 hostages.
The conflict has had devastating consequences for Gaza, with over 53,000 reported deaths and widespread displacement, according to local health authorities. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has indicated plans to displace Gaza’s population as part of an expanded military campaign, a move that has been described by an Israeli minister as a plan to “conquer” the territory.
Palestinians inside Gaza express despair and frustration, reporting no safe places to escape the ongoing bombardment. “Where should I go today? To west Gaza? There’s bombing there. To the south? They’re killing people in Khan Younis… Where should we go?” said Fadi Tamboura, one of the many civilians caught in the conflict.
International criticism of Israel’s campaign has grown, with concerns about the humanitarian crisis exacerbated by a blockade restricting vital food and aid deliveries. Even the United States, Israel’s closest ally, has expressed unease. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently said Washington was “troubled” by the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza.
