CAIRO, March 21. /TASS/. Egypt’s State Information Service has refuted media reports alleging that the country’s authorities plan to take in half a million Gazans in the northern part of the Sinai peninsula.
"Some media have circulated reports that Egypt is allegedly ready to receive some 500,000 Gaza residents in northern Sinai as part of its plan for the restoration of the enclave - we categorically deny this. Since the very beginning of the war in October 2023, Egypt has stood against either the forcible or voluntary resettlement of Palestinians from their lands, especially to Egypt," it said, adding that Cairo is vehemently against this resettlement idea as this is a "matter of national security" for Egypt.
Egypt’s plan for Gaza does not provide for resettling its residents. This plan was supported by Arab leaders at their summit on March 4, the Service recalled.
Discussions about potentially resettling Gazans from the enclave heated up after US President Donald Trump said in early February that Washington was looking at taking long-term ownership of the Gaza Strip and resettling its residents to other countries of the region.
The idea came under criticism from both Hamas, which controls the Palestinian enclave, and leaders of other Arab countries and Iran. In early February, Egypt said it would draft its own plan for Gaza, which was adopted by the Arab League on March 4 unanimously. On March 12, the plan was presented to US special envoy Steve Witkoff during his meeting with top diplomats from several Arab countries in Doha.