The Trump administration is reportedly exploring a proposal to permanently relocate up to one million Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to Libya, according to five individuals with knowledge of the discussions, NBC News reported Friday.
Sources allegedly familiar with the plan said the proposal was serious enough to prompt high-level conversations with Libyan leadership. Two people with direct knowledge of the matter and a former U.S. official confirmed the initiative included the possible unfreezing of billions of dollars in Libyan assets held by the United States for over a decade.
After the report was published, a U.S. State Department spokesperson denied the claims, stating, “These reports are untrue. The situation on the ground is untenable for such a plan. Such a plan was not discussed and makes no sense.”
Libya, the proposed destination for the relocation, remains deeply unstable. Since the 2011 uprising that ousted longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi, the country has fractured between two rival governments. The internationally recognized Government of National Unity (GNU) controls western Libya from Tripoli, while a rival administration backed by the Libyan National Army (LNA) under General Khalifa Haftar governs the east.
Armed groups regularly clash for territorial control within GNU-held areas, especially in Tripoli. The U.S. State Department currently advises against all travel to Libya, citing “crime, terrorism, unexploded landmines, civil unrest, kidnapping, and armed conflict.”
Just this week, Tripoli saw violent clashes following the death of Abdel Ghani al-Kikli, also known as Ghaniwa, a prominent commander of the Stability Support Apparatus. He was reportedly killed in a facility controlled by the 444 Brigade, a militia aligned with the GNU.
Fighting between the two groups spread into residential neighborhoods and killed at least six people before a ceasefire was declared Wednesday.
In response to the violence, large anti-government protests erupted Friday in Tripoli. Demonstrators demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah’s administration.
Local TV station Alwasat reported that several ministers had tendered resignations, including those responsible for trade, industry, local governance, and higher education. However, the GNU denied this, stating all officials were “working normally.”
It is unclear whether the Trump administration engaged with both sides of Libya’s divided leadership. A recent U.S. delegation visited both Benghazi and Tripoli, and it is plausible the relocation plan was mentioned during these meetings.
