Dozens of Palestinians took to the streets of Gaza on Saturday, protesting against U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal to relocate the Strip's population to Egypt and Jordan, while expressing gratitude to Egypt for rejecting the plan.
Protesters gathered at Al-Saraya Square in central Gaza City and in Deir al-Balah, waving Palestinian and Egyptian flags. Large banners bearing images of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi displayed slogans such as, \"Egypt will always stand as a true supporter and defender of the Palestinian cause and will never accept the displacement of its people.\"
In a statement on behalf of families and clan leaders, the protesters vehemently rejected any plans aimed at displacing Palestinians from their land. \"Palestine is our rightful homeland, and we will not allow anyone to undermine that,\" the statement declared.
The statement urged Palestinians to stand united against attempts to undermine their rights, calling on them to remain steadfast on their land and committed to their right of return and independence. \"We will not accept any threat to our Palestinian identity or any distortion of our history, which has been shaped by generations of struggle and resilience against the occupation,\" it added.
The protesters also praised Egypt's stance under President al-Sisi, highlighting his continuous support for the Palestinian cause and his firm rejection of any attempts to compromise Palestinian national rights.
Earlier in the day, Hamas dismissed the U.S. proposal to relocate Gaza's population abroad as \"absurd and worthless.\" Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri stated that the repeated U.S. claims about \"displacing Gaza's population under the pretext of rebuilding it reflect a persistent U.S. complicity in the crime.\"
He warned that the U.S. administration's insistence on displacement plans would only \"fuel further chaos and tension in the region.\"
Meanwhile, foreign ministers and representatives of six Arab countries, along with the Arab League, met in Cairo, calling for the swift implementation of a comprehensive reconstruction plan for Gaza to ensure that Palestinians remain on their land.
The meeting was attended by the foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, as well as the Secretary-General of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), Hussein Al-Sheikh, and Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul-Gheit.
