Reports of a US plan under President Donald Trump’s administration to permanently relocate nearly one million Palestinians from Gaza to Libya have sparked strong opposition among Libyan politicians and lawmakers.
Both the Government of National Unity and the Government of National Stability have remained silent on the matter, declining to comment on the leaked reports.
Asharq Al-Awsat reached out to both administrations via email but received no response. However, Talal Al-Maihoub, head of the Defense and National Security Committee in Libya’s House of Representatives, firmly dismissed the idea, calling the relocation of Palestinians to Libya a “red line.”
“Despite the political instability Libya is going through, the Palestinian cause remains our top priority,” Al-Maihoub told Asharq Al-Awsat. “We reject any attempt to dismantle the cause or displace the people of Gaza.”
Amid widespread anti-government protests in Tripoli, Libyan social media erupted with reactions to a report by NBC News, which cited two informed sources and a former US official. According to the report, the Trump administration had seriously explored a plan to resettle Palestinians in Libya, even going so far as to discuss it with Libyan authorities. In exchange, Washington would unfreeze billions of dollars in Libyan assets that have been held for over a decade.
The backlash was not limited to parliament. Abdulaziz Hariba, head of the Political Committee in the Libyan High Council of State, told Asharq Al-Awsat that Libyans “categorically reject the relocation of Palestinians to Libya” and refuse to even entertain such discussions.
This isn’t the first time such speculation has surfaced. In March, a US media outlet reported that Libya was allegedly willing to accept a number of Palestinian refugees—a claim the Government of National Unity quickly denied. At the time, it reiterated Libya’s consistent support for the Palestinian cause and the right of the Palestinian people to live freely and with dignity on their own land.
Political parties in Libya have also expressed their rejection of the idea. Mohamed Hassan Makhlouf, deputy head of the Liberal People’s Party, said any attempt by Washington to impose such a plan would be unacceptable. “Libya is already facing deep political divisions, ongoing military tensions, and serious security challenges,” he told Asharq Al-Awsat. “We are also under Chapter VII of the UN Charter—conditions that make Libya completely unfit to host displaced populations.”
Meanwhile, Ben Fishman, senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, said the idea of relocating a million Palestinians is highly exaggerated. Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, Fishman noted that the media leaks appear to overlook Libya’s stance on the matter.
