The war that Israel did not want and did not start grinds on in Gaza. Much of the Strip is now piles of rubble. Many people in Gaza would no doubt like to leave, though according to Hamas accounts, as reported by such sources as Al Jazeera and the equally biased BBC, “no one wants to leave Gaza.” I don’t believe it, and neither does the Trump administration. It is now making plans for the possible relocation of up to one million Gazans to Libya, a country with plenty of vacant land and, like Gaza, lots of “beachfront property.” More on this plan can be found here: “US developing plan to move one million Palestinians to Libya, NBC News reports,” Jerusalem Post, May 16, 2025:
The Trump administration is working on a plan to permanently relocate as many as one million Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to Libya, NBC News reported on Friday, citing five people with knowledge of the matter.
Why has the administration focused on Libya? Here’s why: Libya is an Arab country with a small population and a vast land area. Its population is 7.3 million; to its east is Egypt, with 100 million people, and to its west is Algeria, with 46 million people. It’s a large country with plenty of open space for settlement, and as Trump likes to say, it’s also — like Gaza itself — a “beachfront property.”
But there is another reason for the Trump administration focusing on Libya. In 2011, the US froze $34 billion in Libyan assets, afraid that Qaddafi, then facing a popular uprising, might use that money to help himself stay in power. Estimates of the current Libyan frozen assets held by the US should be at least that amount, though the US government during the last fourteen years has made some of those assets available to help Libyans.
Why do those frozen assets matter? They are a huge part of the package of inducements the Trump administration is preparing to offer Libya, if it agrees to accept up to one million Gazan Arabs.
NBC reported that the plan is under serious consideration, and the US has discussed it with Libya’s leadership.
In exchange for resettling the Palestinians, the administration would release to Libya billions of dollars of funds the US froze more than a decade ago.
Palestinians may be incentivised to leave with the promise of a stipend and housing.
Under this plan, not a single Gazan would be “forced to relocate,” as some are now suggesting has been Trump’s, and Israel’s, sinister plan all along. They would be offered housing — in Gaza most people are now living mostly in tent cities — as well as a stipend. It’s all about carrots, and no sticks. What if the Palestinians don’t want to move? Fine, then they can remain in Gaza, where they will living while the removal of vast amounts of rubble needs first to be removed before rebuilding can begin. That will take many years. Surely there will be many people in Gaza who will prefer to live in brand-new housing in Libya rather than continue to live, in tents, in what will be a vast construction site.
Basem Naim, a senior Hamas official, claimed the terror group was unaware of plans to relocate Palestinians to Libya but condemned the rumored relocation plans nonetheless.
“Palestinians are very rooted in their homeland, very strongly committed to the homeland, and they are ready to fight up to the end and to sacrifice anything to defend their land, their homeland, their families, and the future of their children,” Naim said in response to questions from NBC News.
“[Palestinians] are exclusively the only party who have the right to decide for the Palestinians, including Gaza and Gazans, what to do and what not to do.”
This claim — that “Palestinians are very rooted in their homeland, ready to fight to the end,” and so on, is a bit of blague. I’ve heard Gazans being interviewed on NPR, and on several European networks, including the BBC, being pushed by their interviewers to mouth such sentiments, but refusing to take the bait, and instead, openly suggesting that yes, they would be willing to move out of Gaza “if conditions are right.”
The Trump administration is not deciding for the Palestinians in Gaza where they should live, but providing them with a choice. It is ready to offer the government of Libya tens of billions of dollars in assets it is now prepared to unfreeze. In addition, Libya will have up to a million new houses built in its country — a huge jobs program for Libyans, and a massive investment in Libya’s housing stock, likely paid for either by the U.S. or by the Gulf Arabs, or by both. And the Gazans will have the chance to live far from the rubble and the construction site to follow, provided instead of tents with brand new permanent housing, and given a monthly stipend. How can anyone claim that this offer is “forcing Gazans to relocate”?
࿗Infidel࿘ says
One more factor not mentioned above is that there are 2 parties jockeying for power in Libya, which is right now de-facto 2 countries: Haftar’s LNA which controls Cyrenaica and Fezzan, and Dbeibeh’s GNA. Both would like US recognition, which is probably why both said yes to putting up the Gazans
I doubt that Libyans would want Palis on their beachfronts: they’d probably prefer them working deep in Fezzan, way south in the Sahara. It’s a good thing: maybe the Libyans can put these Palis to work
Also, all the Palis need not be sent to Libya. As Daniel discussed several months ago, there was another proposal to send them to Puntland, in Somalia: another million or so could be sent there. Just distribute them all over the Arab world, including the Palis in Judea and Samaria. Scatter them all over the Arab world, or at least in places like Libya, Somalia and Qatar
As for the money, just force the Palis to build their own houses: Libyans shouldn’t have to do it for them. If this stuff is just built for the Palis & given to them on a silver platter, they’ll neither appreciate it, nor their new hosts. If, otoh, they are forced to build it themselves, for themselves, they’ll appreciate it a lot more and are more likely to become useful productive citizens of Libya
Raja says
Infidel, Good insight to geopolitics of Libya. Yes, the Palis belong to where all the terrorists are entrenched. Gaddafi, though a terrorist himself maintained a good control over the brutes there. In fact, dictators did a much better job of running the terror loving people than any democratic leader would imagine.
Patrick says
What a great plan, as I’ve been recommending, all Muslim Arabs in Palestine be relocated, the sooner the better. The entire area of Palestine belongs to Israel.
Raja says
Infidel, Good insight to geopolitics of Libya. Yes, the Palis belong to where all the terrorists are entrenched. Gaddafi, though a terrorist himself maintained a good control over the brutes there. In fact, dictators did a much better job of running the terror loving people than any democratic leader would imagine.
somehistory says
Putting myself (in mind only) in gaza….I’d say send me someplace not controlled by mozlums, please.
Now if by some horrible chance, I had been raised mozlum…shuddering at the thought…I’d still want out of that place which is still under fire and still run by a group willing to use me as a sacrificial weapon.
There are probably many who wish to leave; although they may not want to go to a mozlum nation where they will be the minority, rather than say, Canada, which has offered to take them.
Raja says
Somehistory, I’m shocked to know that Canada has offered refuge to these lawless thugs. These progressives/liberals don’t mind making many more Talibans, Irans and so on. Their (libs, prog) mental illness is barely different from the mental illness that is islam.
James Lincoln says
The best thing for the Israelis would be for ALL of the so-called “Palestinians” to relocate to Libya.
Both Israel and the United States should leave Gaza in total ruins – and basically inhabitable – indefinitely.
The key is to get the “Palestinians” OUT, even if Gaza remains a ghost town.
Jumbo says
That should, of course, be ‘uninhabitable’.
James Lincoln says
Jumbo,
Yes, a typo.
Daniel Triplett says
Agreed James. No quarter for Ummah.
Greg says
Even Libya won’t take them!
࿗Infidel࿘ says
There are 2 competing factions for power in Libya, both of who want international recognition. That’s why neither side responded to the media when asked about this. If it was “no”, they would have said no, like President al-Sisi did next door
Rarely says
And here I thought that’s what Trump wanted Greenland for — to move all the Gazans there where they could work mining the rare minerals.
What could they possibly do in Libya — especially in the Sahara Desert part? Make glass? Tend sheep? Race camels?
No. Greenland makes much more sense.
Hey!!. What about Guatemala? Lots of prison guard jobs there.
In reality there will probably a multitude of unhappy Gazan refugees many of whom would be very angry and violent spread throughout the western world — like it or not.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
What’s wrong w/ you: why do you want millions of muslims sent to any non-muslim country? After all the mayhem they’ve caused in Europe? Don’t you have enough of them around you in Canada?
Reason Greenland is needed is that it falls in the flight path from Russia to major US cities. If Russia ever launched missiles against US, it wouldn’t be trans-Atlantic: it would be trans-Arctic. Join New York or DC w/ a line of longitude to the North Pole, and continue that to Russia: that would probably be an ideal missile site. Such a line would pass through Greenland, which is why the US would like to have it
Raja says
Good Question Infidel. Instead of eradicating an evil religion he seems to want it to flourish. How hopeless.
Hank says
“What could they possibly do in Libya..”
They could start with assimilating with their fellow Muslims and their Islamic culture.
I think you need to read RB’s books to understand what importing an Islamic community into a non-Muslim country means for that unfortunate host-country. It literally means death by a thousand cuts for that unfortunate host country. The West is undergoing it, think Sweden, the UK, Australia, Europe. India has already gone through it. Persia, of all places, the arch enemy of Arabs like Mohammed, has already gone through it. See the results.
Winston 101 says
No, no, do NOT move the ☪️ancer of Islam to any area not already infested with it.
What will they do in Libiya? Whatever it is, it won’t be helping to metastasize the ☪️ancer of Islam, as it is already there.
Perhaps they can have a lovely civil war. As they did in Jordan and Lebanon.
I have grave doubts about Libya’s assets being used for relocating “Palestinians” and building them homes etc. They will just convert “plowshares to arms” as they always have. They have not changed, they just lost the war they started. They are taught by Islam that they are Superior because Allah is on their side – and all they got was another Nakba. Losing a holy war to their inferiors. Now they are more resentful than ever.
Cooperating with jihad is treason says
Do you really think Haftar is so crazy as to import the Muslim Brotherhood into his Tripoli? El Sisi deployed the army to Sinai because he does not want Palestinians in his Egypt, because he does not want beheaded Copts to lie on the road again, as the dead and dismembered Copts lay during Morsi’s rule. Trump should return Qatar’s plane and deport Palestinians to Qatar.
Rose says
Send the barbarians inhabiting Judea and Samaria there as well.
Hank says
Please include the one’s in the UK, USA, Sweden, Australia, NZ, Europe and neutral Switzerland as well
Bret says
I would almost bet that no Muslim country will accept the Gazians, without a very large bribe, which none of that bribe would ever make it to the Gaza refugees to aid them in resettlement. Muslims fight other Muslims, being the warring tribes that they are Continuing to aid any Muslim country with taxpayer dollars needs to stop forever. Like Gaza, that aid never makes it to the people, only to someone’s pocket. Actually this includes all aid to foreign countries. These countries never fix their problems nor care to