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Gazans were defiant on Wednesday over any attempt to relocate them from the enclave, saying US President Donald Trump's plans to take control and redevelop the territory were “fantasies” bound to fail.
The president made a surprise announcement on Tuesday alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the US will “take over” Gaza and send in troops if necessary, in an astonishing pivot in American policy that could reshape the Middle East.
“We're going to develop it, create thousands and thousands of jobs, and it'll be something that the entire Middle East can be very proud of,” Mr Trump told a news conference in Washington. He did not say whether Palestinians would be allowed back to Gaza, instead saying “the world's people” would be welcome.
It was not clear whether Mr Trump will press ahead with the idea or if his remarks were a bargaining strategy.
Many Gazans reacted with incredulity to his proposal, telling The National that history had proved the territory would remain Palestinian, and it was Gazans who would rebuild.
“Yes, Gaza is destroyed and currently unliveable, but we, its people, are ready to rebuild it and restore it to an even better state than before,” said Yahya Abu Asi, a 37-year-old in Gaza city. “Trump's ideas and proposals are nothing but fantasies that will certainly fail in the face of the people's resilience, patience, and determination.”
Mohammed Al Rudai, a 28-year-old Palestinian from the northern city of Beit Lahia, also dismissed Mr Trump's remarks.
“This is our destiny, and this is our land,” he said. “My home is gone, and six members of my family were martyred, but I will never think of leaving this country or abandoning it. We are the rightful owners of this land, and Trump will fail.”
He said Gazans would accept “nothing less than a dignified life on our land, free from occupation” and was adamant that Palestinians would stay even if the war resumed.
Gaza has been left largely in ruins after more than 15 months of fighting between Israel and the Gaza-based militant group Hamas, with the territory subjected to heavy bombing on a daily basis.
The UN in a report last year estimated that clearing Gaza of rubble would take 15 years and cost $500 million to $600 million. Mr Trump has called the territory a “demolition site”.
But displacement is a highly sensitive issue among Palestinians and Arab countries. Many fear another Nakba, or catastrophe, referring to the movement of hundreds of thousands from their homes in the war of 1948 when the state of Israel was created.
Some Gazans told The National they were open to leaving the enclave temporarily to allow for rebuilding, but others said Mr Trump's proposal was a ploy to permanently rid Gaza of the local population.
“Gaza has become unliveable, and for now, living in another area might be a better option since everything is destroyed and there are no basic necessities for life,” said Mundher Al Sahhar, a 32-year-old resident of the Jabalia displacement camp.
“However, if such a move happens, it must be through Arab and international consensus, with the goal of reconstruction – not displacement and settlement, as is being promoted.
“Gaza belongs to us, with everything in it, and we will never give it up. Even if my family and I leave temporarily, it would only be a journey before returning once again.”
Aziz Al Massri, a 35-year-old from Gaza city who is living in Cairo after fleeing the war, said Mr Trump was trying to market the displacement plan under a humanitarian and ethical pretext.
“Even if we take this assumption in good faith, our experience with the occupation and the Americans teaches us that everything temporary becomes permanent, and their guarantees are nothing more than ink on paper. Those who leave will never return,” he said.
Mr Al Massri lost two nephews along with his home in the war. He said Mr Trump's proposal could be a bargaining chip in negotiations with Saudi Arabia to normalise ties with Israel. “Normalisation could be framed as a trade-off for halting forced displacement,” he told The National.
“However, displacement could still be implemented gradually, over the long term, without drawing immediate attention.”
He said strong Palestinian leadership was needed to thwart efforts to relocate the population, comparing the fight for Palestinian statehood to that of the Kurds, some of whom seek the creation of an independent Kurdistan carved from parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey.
“We cannot stand against these modern-day Mongols without a unified national leadership that governs all Palestinian territories with one voice, one vision, and one political decision,” he said.
“Otherwise, we will become the Kurds of the 21st century – and history will not forgive us.”
