Egypt’s Rejection of the Gaza Depopulation Plan

https://rasanah-iiis.org/english/?p=13444

ByLayla al-Dosari

The renewed Israeli military offensive against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip has sparked concerns over the mass displacement plan proposed by US President Donald Trump and eagerly embraced by Israel’s extremist right‑wing leaders. In response, Egypt has persistently reaffirmed its rejection of any forced evacuation of Gaza’s population through continuous engagement with regional and international stakeholders. On Saturday, April 19, President Abdel Fattah El‑Sisi spoke by phone with Jordan’s King Abdullah II, stressing Egypt’s refusal to countenance the expulsion of Gazans. Cairo has since redoubled its mediation efforts to secure a ceasefire and ensure the uninterrupted delivery of humanitarian aid, while intensifying diplomatic outreach to marshal Arab and global support for a comprehensive Gaza reconstruction plan. On Monday April 21, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty met his Saudi counterpart Prince Faisal bin Farhan in Riyadh where they underscored their firm rejection of displacing Palestinians from their homeland. The ministers also reviewed the Arab-Islamic initiative for Gaza’s reconstruction and examined the agenda for an international summit focused on early recovery and reconstruction efforts — set to convene in Cairo in collaboration with the United Nations and the Palestinian Authority.   

This article highlights the factors that enable Egypt to reject the Gaza depopulation plan while facing intense pressure from regional and international actors to submit to this forced displacement plan.

Egypt’s geopolitical location — bordering Palestine directly, its control of the Suez Canal, it vast geographical expanse and large population that enables the country to maintain a powerful military are among the main factors that make it a pivotal actor in the dynamics of the Middle East and Africa. As a result, Israel takes the country’s strategic weight into serious consideration in order to preserve the peace treaty with Cairo. The latter could leverage the historic agreement, in case Israel crossed certain redlines, by reconsidering or withdrawing from the agreement. Such a scenario could draw dark ramifications, the worst being a military conflict with Egypt. The two countries are aware that the fragile peace has been built on past hostilities and that any move toward disengagement would be backed by a popular base of over 100 million Egyptians who share deep-rooted religious, historical and geographical ties to the Palestinian cause.  

Moreover, several opportunities arise in the context of Egypt’s strategy to confront this displacement plan. Chief among these is the steadfast refusal of Gazans to leave their homeland. Palestinians view the displacement scheme as an ongoing crime of ethnic cleansing and national erasure. Their determination to remain and cling to their land reinforces Egypt’s position and eases some of the moral burden that the Israeli occupation seeks to shift onto Egypt. Israel has been promoting a narrative suggesting that the suffering of Palestinians is not the outcome of its decades-long occupation and repeated aggressions — most recently the current onslaught — but rather a consequence of Egypt’s refusal to allow their migration and resettlement within its borders.

Other opportunities stem from Egypt’s prominent geopolitical position and its constructive roles in many regional crises. A pivotal state in the Arab world, Egypt enjoys broad Arab support within a shared framework of backing the Palestinian cause. Arab leaders have unanimously called for the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state and rejected forced displacement. In this regard, Gulf political and economic support for Egypt serves as a key pillar in confronting the displacement plan and strengthens Egypt’s position in the face of Israeli pressure.

At the global level, Egypt has read the forced displacement of Gazans in the context of breaching its sovereignty and dictating policies at the expense of its land and people. Widespread condemnation has followed US and Israeli displacement-related statements, with countries around the world reaffirming the Palestinian people’s right to an independent state. This condemnation is wholly supported by international law — with hundreds of UN resolutions related to the Palestinian cause.

However, several challenges can hinder Egypt’s efforts to support the Palestinian cause. Obstacles are mainly economic — limited resources confined to revenues from the Suez Canal, tourism and remittances from Egyptians working abroad. In recent years, low security ratings have impacted the tourism sector and the ongoing Houthi attacks have caused revenues from the Suez Canal to decline. Compounded by a mounting debt crisis, these factors have led to deteriorating living conditions marked by rising prices and inflation. Egypt’s increasing dependence on loans and foreign aid to maintain internal stability and manage crises opens the door to external pressure to force the relocation of Palestinians.

Furthermore, cross-border water resources, mainly the Nile which originates in equatorial East Africa, poses an indirect challenge to Egypt. A number of regional and international actors, primarily Israel, supports Ethiopia in its rivalry against Egypt, using water-related pressure as a bargaining tool to extract concessions on various issues, including the resettlement of Palestinians. These pressures are mounting with the increasing influence of the Israeli far-right despite the unequivocal refusal of the besieged Palestinian population to leave their homeland. Such a push increases the risk of war and further destabilization, undermining prospects for political resolution and heightening international pressure on Egypt.

In conclusion, amid ongoing regional and international crises and challenges, Egypt has reaffirmed its pivotal status in the region — an actor that cannot be sidelined on major issues, including the Palestinian cause. Through its resolute stance rejecting the forced displacement of Palestinians, Cairo has solidified its role as a guardian of Arab national security.

As outlined above, Egypt’s opposition to the expulsion of Palestinians is challenged by regional and international actors. Cairo has come under intense political, economic and media pressure — particularly from the United States and Israel — in an attempt to impose a status quo that threatens Egypt’s national security and undermines Palestinian rights.

Nevertheless, Egypt’s position remains unchanged, bolstered by Arab and other international actors. This resilience contributes significantly to the failure of forced migration schemes and underscores Egypt’s historic commitment to the Palestinian cause, its dedication to regional stability and its rejection of any solutions that violate the principles of national sovereignty and international legitimacy.


 Opinions in this article reflect the writer’s point of view, not necessarily the view of Rasanah

Layla al-Dosari
Layla al-Dosari
Research trainee