Thousands of Egyptians rallied near the Gaza border on Tuesday in a powerful demonstration of solidarity with Palestinians and to voice Egypt’s firm rejection of former U.S. President Donald Trump’s controversial proposal to relocate Gaza’s population.
The protests, which unfolded in the northern Sinai city of Al-Arish—just 30 miles from the Rafah border crossing—highlight Cairo’s mounting concerns over the proposed displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, a region devastated by war following Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel.
Demonstrators marched through the streets chanting slogans such as “Gaza is in our heart” and carried banners reading “No to the displacement of Palestinians” and “Sinai is a red line.” The rallies were organized by pro-government political movements and coincided with French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to the region.
The backlash follows comments made by Trump during a meeting at the White House with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In his remarks, Trump doubled down on a proposal to relocate Gaza’s population and repurpose the territory for development, describing it as a potential “prime real estate project.”
The plan has drawn sharp condemnation from Egypt, Jordan, and several other U.S.-aligned Arab nations, who instead renewed calls for an immediate end to the violence and a return to negotiations toward a two-state solution, envisioning a sovereign Palestinian state alongside Israel.
Egypt, which ruled Gaza until 1967, has consistently opposed any forced displacement of Palestinians and has warned of the destabilizing effects such a move could have on the region—particularly in Sinai, which has seen its own share of unrest.
