The Egyptian State Information Service (SIS) has denied on Friday, 21 March recent media reports by Israeli media of relocating 500,000 Gaza residents to North Sinai.
The report claims that Egypt is prepared to “temporarily relocate half a million Gaza residents to a designated city in North Sinai as part of reconstruction efforts.”
SIS reaffirmed that since October 2023 when Israel declared war with Gaza, Egypt has “resolutely and definitively” opposed all attempts—forced or voluntary—to displace Palestinians from Gaza, especially into Egyptian territory. It emphasized that any such move would undermine the Palestinian cause and represent a serious threat to Egypt’s national security.
The statement concluded by emphasizing that Egypt’s firm and consistent position formed the basis of the proposal it presented at the emergency Arab summit on 4 March in Cairo on Gaza’s reconstruction. The plan, which received unanimous approval by Arab and European Leaders, prioritizes rebuilding Gaza without relocating any Palestinians from their land.
On Friday morning, the Times of Israel published a widely circulated English-language report, citing a story from the Lebanese outlet Al-Akhbar, which claimed that Egyptian President AbdelFattah Al-Sisi had informed fellow Arab leaders of his willingness to temporarily relocate half a million Gaza residents to a designated city in North Sinai as part of efforts to rebuild the Gaza Strip.
President Al-Sisi has constantly rejected any plans to move Palestinians from Gaza to Sinai or Egypt, warning it would undermine the Palestinian cause.
