The US President Donald Trump recently called for Jordan and Egypt to resettle Palestinians from Gaza, suggesting the displacement of over a million people. “I’d like Egypt to take people and I’d like Jordan to take people. You’re talking about a million and a half people, and we just clean out that whole thing,” Trump said. Such comments raise very serious questions about the consequences of uprooting Palestinians from their homeland.
This is not a red flag but a warning in neon lights of the repetition of historical injustices. Forcing Palestinians to leave Gaza threatens to sever their connection with their homeland permanently, similar to the painful experiences of previous generations. History must not be allowed to repeat itself.
In 1948, with the establishment of the state of Israel, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were displaced in what is known as the **Nakba**, or “catastrophe.” Many were forced to flee their homes due to violence, massacres, or fear, seeking refuge in neighboring countries like Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. For decades, these refugees have been denied the right to return to their homes and lands, despite international laws and resolutions supporting their claims.
Resolution 194 of the United Nations spells out clearly that those who became refugees should be enabled to return home. Israel has been opposing the implementation of this right in respect of Palestinian refugees on grounds of security and demography. Thus, millions remain in limbo, with millions living in refugee camps, deprived of basic rights and opportunities. Their connection to their ancestral lands is systematically denied.
A second wave of mass displacement came with the 1967 Six-Day War. An estimated 300,000 Palestinians were forced to flee from the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem. Many sought refuge in neighboring countries, only to face similar challenges as the 1948 refugees: restricted movement, limited rights, and inability to return to their homes. This second displacement really sealed the perception that once Palestinians are uprooted, returning becomes practically impossible.
Displacing the Palestinians from Gaza for so-called “resettlement” into Jordan and Egypt has very dangerous implications. History can attest that once Palestinians cross borders, they are often dealt with as stateless refugees without any fundamental rights and even citizenship in their host countries. Their connection with their homeland erodes further into each successive generation of their people; thus, the possibility for return becomes all the more difficult.
This would result in the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, and could have the following consequences:
1. Loss of National Identity: Exile may destroy that particular Palestinian identity which has its roots in ancestral lands, culture, and heritage.
2. Humanitarian Crisis: Countries like Jordan and Egypt, its immediate neighbors, are already faced with economic and social challenges. Additional millions of refugees will overload their resources and create societal instability.
3. Violation of International Law: The forced transferring of populations violates the Fourth Geneva Convention, which rules out the displacement of civilians during wartime except when their safety is in jeopardy.
4. Geopolitical Instability:Such a move would further contribute to instability in the Middle East, feeding resentment and anger, perhaps even more violence.
Instead, the world’s leaders must find and seek the roots of this conflict to bring justice for all through forcing the Palestinians out. This will be accomplished by:
The right of return. which, under international law, is a right to be respected for Palestinian refugees.
Supporting the end of Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.
Free-spirited humanitarian aid to Gaza and its reconstruction, unconstrained by unbalanced diplomacy that erases Palestinian sovereignty and rights.
Dialogue and negotiations that are genuine – a two-state solution or other constructive forms to actually respect the rights and aspirations of both Israelis and Palestinians.
Displacing Palestinians from Gaza is not the answer; it is just a repetition of a painful history that has brought so much suffering. Forcibly making people leave their homes is to erase an identity, undermine rights, and perpetuate cycles of injustice. Instead, solutions must come first from the international community that guarantees dignity, justice, and a future whereby Palestinians can live freely in their homeland. History has shown us the devastating results of forced displacement. We must not let it happen again.
