• Bulldozers with Egyptian and Qatar flags wait to enter Gaza at the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025 (AP)

Egypt denied reports suggesting that it is preparing to transfer Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to North Sinai.

US President Donald Trump previously proposed a US "takeover" of Gaza, following an earlier suggestion that Palestinians in the enclave should be permanently displaced.  

In early March, Arab leaders approved a $53 billion Egyptian-led reconstruction plan for Gaza, specifically designed to prevent the displacement of Palestinians and counter Trump’s vision of a "Middle East Riviera."

The Egyptian State Information Service (SIS) asserted that "Egypt has categorically and unequivocally denied claims circulated by some media outlets that it is prepared to temporarily relocate half a million Gaza residents to a designated city in North Sinai as part of Gaza’s reconstruction."

SIS affirmed "the falsehood of these baseless allegations, which fundamentally and completely contradict Egypt’s firm and principled stance declared from the early days of the genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023."

“Egypt has resolutely and definitively rejected any attempt to forcibly or voluntarily displace Palestinian brothers and sisters to any location outside Gaza, especially to Egyptian territories, as this would represent the liquidation of the Palestinian cause and pose an imminent threat to Egypt’s national security,” it pointed out.

The statement concluded by reaffirming that "Egypt’s steadfast and clear position forms the basis of the plan it presented at the recent Cairo-hosted emergency Arab summit for Gaza’s reconstruction."

“This plan, which Egypt proposed to support Gaza’s rebuilding without relocating a single Palestinian brother or sister from the Palestinian territories, was unanimously approved by the summit,” it added.

On March 5, Arab leaders approved a plan to rebuild the Gaza Strip under the future administration of the Palestinian Authority, positioning it as an alternative to Trump's widely criticized proposal to assume control of the territory and displace its population.  

They announced the creation of a trust fund to finance Gaza’s reconstruction and urged international support for the initiative.

"All these efforts are proceeding in parallel with the launch of a political track" toward Palestinian statehood, the statement added—an objective that Israeli leaders have opposed.  

The statement also welcomed "the Palestinian decision to form a Gaza administration committee under the umbrella of the Palestinian government."

The summit called for Palestinian representation to be unified under the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the dominant political force within the Palestinian Authority, which does not include Hamas.  

The Palestinian Authority previously governed Gaza but lost control of the territory to Hamas in 2007.  

Hamas expressed support for the summit’s plan and the proposal to form a temporary committee to oversee relief efforts, reconstruction, and governance.

Palestinians, Arab states, and many European governments have rejected Trump’s proposal for US control of Gaza and have opposed any efforts to displace its population.  

Trump has recently appeared to moderate his stance, stating he is “not forcing” the plan, which experts have warned could violate international law.  

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said the initiative ensures Palestinians “remain on their land.”  

The summit’s final communiqué warned against “sinful attempts to displace the Palestinian people,” cautioning that such actions would “usher the region into a new phase of conflicts.”

El-Sisi said the new management committee, composed of Palestinian technocrats, aims to pave the way for the Palestinian Authority’s return to the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, speaking at the summit, confirmed that a working committee had been established to facilitate the PA’s resumption of governance in Gaza.  

UN Secretary-General António Guterres endorsed the Cairo initiative for Gaza’s reconstruction, stating that the UN was ready to “fully cooperate”.

Read more: Israeli aggression on Gaza risks escalating tensions: Egyptian FM