CAIRO – Weeks into the ceasefire in Gaza, thousands of displaced Palestinians in Egypt are struggling with the decision of when—and whether—to return home. While many long to rebuild their lives, they reject any notion of permanent displacement, particularly a mass resettlement proposal floated by U.S. President Donald Trump.
“A lot of people are torn, and I am one of them,” said Shorouk, a Palestinian living in Cairo who sells traditional food under the name “Gaza Girl.” “Do you go back and sit in the destruction, or wait until reconstruction is complete?”
Despite their uncertain future, she and others refuse to be accepted as permanent residents outside of Palestinian land. “We, the people of Gaza, can only live in Gaza,” she said. “If they give us residencies, the cause will be lost.”
Displacement Proposal Widely Rejected
Trump’s proposal to relocate much of Gaza’s population to Egypt and Jordan has been widely condemned across the Arab world, with critics calling it a form of ethnic cleansing.
“You’re talking about a million and a half people, and we just clean out that whole thing,” Trump said. When asked whether the displacement would be temporary or permanent, he replied, “Could be either.”
Egypt has firmly rejected the plan. “We will never participate in the mass displacement of Palestinians,” President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi stated, calling it an “act of injustice.”
Uncertain Future for Gazans in Egypt
There are currently about 100,000 displaced Palestinians in Egypt, many of whom remain in limbo, unsure of when they will be allowed to return.
During the war, Gaza’s border was largely sealed, and the vast majority of its 2.3 million residents were forced into makeshift shelters inside the territory. However, some were permitted to leave—primarily those with foreign passports, their close relatives, or critically ill patients requiring urgent medical care.
Most Gazans in Egypt have no long-term residency status and rely on small businesses or personal savings to survive. While January’s ceasefire has halted the fighting, it has yet to provide clarity on when they can safely return home.
