Standing amid the ruins of Bureij refugee camp, Mansour Abu Al-Khaier declared: “This is our land. Who would we leave it to?” He and many others remain adamant about staying in Gaza despite catastrophic destruction, displacement, and shortages of basic needs.

At a July 7 meeting in Washington, Trump and Netanyahu signaled progress on a plan to relocate Gaza’s 2.3 million residents. Netanyahu said people should have the “choice” to leave, while Trump praised “great cooperation from surrounding countries.” However, Egypt and Jordan immediately rejected the idea, and Palestinians said the proposal effectively aimed at ethnic cleansing.

Warnings of a Second Nakba

The idea of mass displacement evokes memories of the 1948 Nakba, when over 700,000 Palestinians were expelled during the creation of Israel. “We reject the plan of displacement as Palestinians,” said Saed, a 27-year-old resident of Gaza.

UN human rights spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani raised legal alarms, stating that even so-called voluntary transfers in the current war context were “very questionable” and may constitute forcible transfer under international law.

A May report from the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research showed that nearly half of Gazans would leave if they could—but not under coercive conditions. Some leaked proposals even mentioned “Humanitarian Transit Areas” to house Gazans in or outside the Strip, further raising concerns about permanent relocation.

Resistance to Foreign-Controlled Plans

Trump’s earlier suggestion to turn Gaza into the “Riviera of the Middle East” was quickly dismissed by Palestinians, human rights groups, and regional powers. Abu Samir el-Fakaawi, another resident, said: “I will not leave Gaza. Our children who were martyred are buried here. Whether Trump or Netanyahu likes it or not, we are staying.”

Israel’s assault on Gaza has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians according to Gaza health authorities. Despite war fatigue, Palestinians remain firmly tied to their homeland and skeptical of any externally imposed visions for their future.