Gazans Reject Trump’s Remarks on Relocation, Vow to Stay Rooted in Their Land
Rafah, Gaza — Like most Palestinians, Hatem Azzam, a resident of the southern Gaza city of Rafah, was incensed by US President Donald Trump’s recent remarks suggesting that Gazans should relocate to Egypt or Jordan.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!“Trump thinks Gaza is a pile of garbage — absolutely not,” said Azzam, 34, criticizing the US president’s language when he mentioned his plan to “clean out the whole thing.” He added, “Trump wants to force Egypt and Jordan to take in migrants, as if they were his personal farm.” Both Egypt and Jordan have rejected Trump’s suggestion, and so have the Gazans and other neighboring nations.
Azzam’s frustration comes amid preparations for a high-profile meeting between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington. The two leaders are expected to discuss plans for the Palestinian territory, which has been devastated by more than 15 months of war.
“We will not leave,” Azzam emphasized, addressing the reality that Palestinians, particularly in Gaza, are deeply rooted in their land. He, like many others, views Trump’s suggestion as a threat to Palestinian identity and sovereignty. “Trump and Netanyahu must understand the reality of the Palestinian people,” he said. “This is a people deeply rooted in their land.”
Ihab Ahmed, a 30-year-old resident of Rafah, echoed Azzam’s sentiments, stressing that Palestinians will not be driven from their homes. “We will remain on this land no matter what. Even if we have to live in tents and on the streets, we will stay rooted in this land,” Ahmed said, referring to the historical context of Palestinians being displaced during the 1948 war that led to the creation of Israel. He reminded the world of the trauma experienced by Palestinians who were forced from their homes and have never been allowed to return. “We will not leave, as happened in 1948,” Ahmed declared.
In the northern Gaza city of Jabalia, Raafat Kalob shared similar concerns about the potential consequences of the Trump-Netanyahu meeting. “I expect Netanyahu’s visit to Trump to reflect his future plans to forcibly displace the Palestinian people and redraw the Middle East,” Kalob said, standing amidst the rubble of his war-torn city. He added, “I sincerely hope this plan does not succeed.”
Behind Kalob, rows of tents set up by charity organizations were pitched on a patch of land at the foot of concrete buildings in a state of disrepair. These were temporary shelters for displaced Palestinians who had returned after a ceasefire came into effect on January 19, 2025. The ceasefire, part of a fragile peace process, had allowed some families to return to their destroyed homes, though many are still living in tents next to their bombed-out buildings.
For some Palestinians like Majid al-Zebda, a 50-year-old resident of Jabalia, there remains hope that peace might come. “Trump will pressure Netanyahu to end this war permanently,” said Zebda, a father of six whose home was destroyed during the conflict. Zebda remains optimistic that despite the destruction, the people of Gaza will not give up their land.
“We are the owners of this land; we have always been here, and will always be. The future is ours,” Zebda said, his words a reflection of the enduring spirit of many Gazans who refuse to be displaced.
While the first phase of the ceasefire has brought a temporary halt to the fighting and started a process for a prisoner exchange between Israel and Hamas, the path to a permanent peace agreement remains uncertain. Gazans, like Azzam, Ahmed, Kalob, and Zebda, remain resolute in their commitment to staying in their homeland, no matter the pressure or the rhetoric from foreign leaders.