The Trump administration is working on a strategy to permanently move up to 1 million Palestinians from Gaza to Libya, according to NBC News.
Senior officials have engaged in discussions with Libyan leadership regarding this initiative. The proposal includes potentially unfreezing billions in US-held Libyan funds as compensation.
The deliberations remain ongoing, with Israel being kept informed, according to NBC News citing sources.
However, later, a State Department spokesperson denied these claims, stating "these reports are untrue" and describing the situation as unsuitable for such arrangements.
“The situation on the ground is untenable for such a plan. Such a plan was not discussed and makes no sense,” the spokesperson said.
Basem Naim, a senior Hamas official, said that they were not aware of any discussions about moving Palestinians to Libya.
“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.”
Libya has been plagued by instability and warring political factions throughout the nearly 14 years since a civil war broke out in the country and its longtime dictator, Moammar Gadhafi, was toppled. Libya is struggling to care for its current population as two rival governments, one in the west led by Abdul Hamid Dbeibah and one in the east led by Khalifa Haftar, are actively and violently fighting for control. The State Department currently advises Americans not to travel to Libya “due to crime, terrorism, unexploded landmines, civil unrest, kidnapping, and armed conflict.”
'Gaza is a nasty place. It should become a freedom zone,' says Trump
In an interview with Fox News, Trump called Gaza a nasty place and said that it should become a freedom zone.
"Gaza is a nasty place. It’s been that way for years… It should become a freedom zone. It doesn’t work. Every ten years, they go back, they have Hamas," Trump said.
Responding to a question about the countries that the US President visited going to have to be a part of the solution, Trump said, “They absolutely would be.”
He continued telling that he wanted to take care of the people in Gaza.
"Look, people are starving. You know, you see what's going on right now? People are starving. One of the things that one of the three great leaders that I saw two nights ago said to me, please help the people, the Palestinians, I said, other than the abbess, what do you mean by that? He said, they're starving. And he meant it with his heart. They're starving. So I've already started working on that," Trump said in an interview.
"It's a deep problem, but we'll get it solved. And a very immediate and a very big problem is, you know, I'm so proud of what we were able to do with India and with Pakistan. Well, it's a potential problem like that that we have here. I'll get it solved, and one way or the other, I'll get it solved. It's either going to be done nicely or it's going to be done violently. And I, 99.9% want to do it nicely if we can," he added.
Senior officials have engaged in discussions with Libyan leadership regarding this initiative. The proposal includes potentially unfreezing billions in US-held Libyan funds as compensation.
The deliberations remain ongoing, with Israel being kept informed, according to NBC News citing sources.
Trump now planning to ‘PERMANENTLY’ move 1 MILLION Palestinians from Gaza to Libya — NBC
— RT (@RT_com) May 16, 2025
VIDEO: Thousands seen returning to homes in North Gaza pic.twitter.com/IuEnF3DcAv
However, later, a State Department spokesperson denied these claims, stating "these reports are untrue" and describing the situation as unsuitable for such arrangements.
“The situation on the ground is untenable for such a plan. Such a plan was not discussed and makes no sense,” the spokesperson said.
Basem Naim, a senior Hamas official, said that they were not aware of any discussions about moving Palestinians to Libya.
“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.”
Libya has been plagued by instability and warring political factions throughout the nearly 14 years since a civil war broke out in the country and its longtime dictator, Moammar Gadhafi, was toppled. Libya is struggling to care for its current population as two rival governments, one in the west led by Abdul Hamid Dbeibah and one in the east led by Khalifa Haftar, are actively and violently fighting for control. The State Department currently advises Americans not to travel to Libya “due to crime, terrorism, unexploded landmines, civil unrest, kidnapping, and armed conflict.”
'Gaza is a nasty place. It should become a freedom zone,' says Trump
In an interview with Fox News, Trump called Gaza a nasty place and said that it should become a freedom zone.
"Gaza is a nasty place. It’s been that way for years… It should become a freedom zone. It doesn’t work. Every ten years, they go back, they have Hamas," Trump said.
.@POTUS: “Gaza is a nasty place. It’s been that way for years… It should become a freedom zone. It doesn’t work. Every ten years, they go back, they have Hamas.”@BretBaier: Are these countries you just visited going to have to be a part of the solution?@POTUS: “They… pic.twitter.com/FbjJQVbIyP
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 16, 2025
Responding to a question about the countries that the US President visited going to have to be a part of the solution, Trump said, “They absolutely would be.”
He continued telling that he wanted to take care of the people in Gaza.
"Look, people are starving. You know, you see what's going on right now? People are starving. One of the things that one of the three great leaders that I saw two nights ago said to me, please help the people, the Palestinians, I said, other than the abbess, what do you mean by that? He said, they're starving. And he meant it with his heart. They're starving. So I've already started working on that," Trump said in an interview.
.@POTUS on Gaza: "People are starving. One of the things that one of the three great leaders that I saw two nights ago said to me, "Please help the people, the Palestinians' ... He said they're starving, and he meant it with his heart... So, I've already started working on that." pic.twitter.com/dz4t3ZEBk6
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 16, 2025
"It's a deep problem, but we'll get it solved. And a very immediate and a very big problem is, you know, I'm so proud of what we were able to do with India and with Pakistan. Well, it's a potential problem like that that we have here. I'll get it solved, and one way or the other, I'll get it solved. It's either going to be done nicely or it's going to be done violently. And I, 99.9% want to do it nicely if we can," he added.
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