US, Israel looking to relocate Gazans to Syria to implement Trump’s Gaza plan: Report

Israel and the US are quietly working on a plan to permanently resettle Gaza’s two million residents in Syria, CBS News has reported, citing “three sources familiar with the matter”.

US President Donald Trump earlier set the cat among the pigeons by declaring his intention to take over Gaza and oversee a clean-up and development project in the besieged Palestinian territory.

Despite rejection by most of America’s Arab allies, Israel and the US still seem to be working to realise this ambitious project.

According to estimates by the United Nations, nearly 450,000 Palestinian refugees already reside in Syria. Israel currently occupies a buffer zone along the border in Syria and regularly conducts strikes across the country.

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While Syria’s interim leader, former jihadist leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, often condemn these strikes, he has refrained from issuing a direct threat to Israeli forces themselves. Ahmed al-Sharaa has also objected to Israel’s continued military presence in Syria but to no avail.

Sudan, Somalia also being approached

The CBS report claimed that the Trump administration of the government of Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu have also engaged governments in Sudan and Somalia for relocating Gazans.

The Times of Israel quoted an Israeli official as saying that such initiatives were being taken by the US primarily.

Associated Press reported that US and Israeli officials also reached out to the breakaway region of Somaliland.

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Trump proposed his Gaza plan following a ceasefire mediated by the US, Egypt, and Qatar, which ended 15 months of war in the Gaza Strip. The conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas led an attack on southern Israel, resulting in 1,200 deaths and 251 abductions, primarily of civilians.

The war caused widespread destruction in Gaza, increasing the urgency for a comprehensive reconstruction plan. Israel has insisted that any rebuilding efforts must involve replacing Hamas with a new governing administration.

Egypt’s plan

After USA’s Arab allies were spooked by Trump’s proposal, Egypt hurriedly readied its own plan, involving an independent committee of technocrats running Gaza for a six-month period before handing off control of the Strip to the Palestinian Authority.

Egypt’s plan also dropped Trump’s idea to resettle Gazans outside of the territory.

While the US hasn’t shown interest in adopting Egypt’s proposal, it has signalled a softening of its stance. For instance, Trump last week said his plan for Gaza doesn’t involve expelling the residents.

(With inputs from agencies)