Possible Approaches for the Relocation of Gazans to Jordan & Egypt

Now that Gaza is razed to the ground, what can Donald Trump do to relocate Gazans?

Keeping Gazans in the Gaza Strip is politically convenient for Hamas and the neighboring Arab states.

Hamas needs Gazan civilians as human shields to carry out their military operations and demonize Israel around the world.

Arab states like Jordan and Egypt have historically been destabilized by significant populations of radicalized Palestinian refugees. They therefore prefer to keep a cap on the entry of Palestinians into their jurisdictions. Thus, it is reputationally expedient to tag Gazan civilians as "brave" members of the "resistance" who are better off in Gaza.

However, the realities are harsh.

Gazans could have lived in tents in the bombed-out neighborhoods if the population was fairly small. But with 2.1 million people living in a 41-kilometer stretch of land spanning 5 to 10 kilometers in width, this will be difficult.

The rubble in Gaza is made up of many high-rise buildings that housed many families. With all these destroyed, the people of Gaza must move elsewhere.

Then, there is the issue of how to clear the rubble and rebuild with so many people living in the Strip. It will be unconscionable to hold up so many people including children and young adults under such gruesome conditions - especially after having endured so much in the past year and half.

Thus, the world must take Trump seriously.

Relocation of Gazan civilians should have been done over a year ago. This movement is long overdue!

There are three possible options.

Option 1: Keep Gazans in a Buffer Zone in Host Countries

At the height of the war in 2024, the Egyptian government built a buffer zone to hold Gazans in case they had to relocate. This meant demarcating an area in Egypt to hold Gazans in ways no different from their pre-war status in the Gaza Strip. Through this, they can be held there with highly restricted movement, until Gaza is rebuilt and safe for habitation.

The downside of this is that Gazans would be treated as a different class of refugees which is illegal under international human rights law and most countries’ national laws.

This will also be tantamount to creating a prison-like situation for Gazans in foreign countries. Thus, a pushback is likely to ensue.

Option 2: Keeping Gazans in Transit in Egypt and Jordan

This will mean negotiating a resettlement plan for Gazans in third countries. Thus, Gazans will be admitted for a definite period, within which they would have to move onward to a third country. For instance, if a definite period of say 90 days is agreed, and Gazan refugees are brought into Egypt or Jordan, they would have to either find a place in a third country or return to Gaza. Arguably, this will mean some Gazans would get refuge in other countries like Türkiye, Iran, Europe, North Africa, or the Western Hemisphere, and those who are not successfully relocated will return to a less congested Gaza and live through the rebuilding process.

Option 3: Expand Sponsorship Options for Relocation - Anyone Who Can Gain Sponsorship Can Leave

On the theme of decongesting to facilitate rebuilding, any Gazan who can potentially gain sponsorship can be allowed to move out and find a better life elsewhere. As it stands, Gazans with dual citizenship, strong financial status, or affiliation to an international organization managed to leave during the war.

This model can be relaxed, and more money can be raised to support Gazans to relocate and live elsewhere. States like Saudi Arabia and the UAE do not typically accept refugees because of their strict policies. However, they are big in supporting Arab refugees who live in other countries. They could be brought on board to sponsor more Gazans to move to other countries and build a future. This could be young Gazans eligible to further their education elsewhere, and those with skills that can help them earn a living.

Thus, a quickly convened sponsorship system can help Gazans relocate, decongest the Strip and rebuild.

All In All…

Gazans deserve a better life.

More than half of Gaza's populations have known no other authority but the radical Hamas government.

Living outside a heavily radicalized Gaza Strip can help the next generation develop broader insights that can encourage reform, promote deradicalization, and improve conditions in Gaza and the world at large.

As the people of Gaza cheered on the afternoon of October 7, 2023 they did not imagine the consequences of killing over 1,200 Israelis, and in particular, holding 250 hostages.

International law renders it a necessity for a state to rescue its citizens when they are kidnapped by a group widely labelled as a terrorist organization.

Seasoned Saudi journalist, Abdulrahman Al Rashed regularly calls out Hamas for their miscalculations in launching the October 7^th massacres.

In fact, there is a limit to what the international community can say or do in condemning a sovereign state like Israel, trying to rescue its captured citizens.

Whether the damage was disproportionate or deliberate, the blame is on the Gazan militias who launched the attacks. But for the kidnappings, Israel would not have had the legal grounds to launch such devastating attacks.

As long as a single hostage is held in Gaza, Israel has the right to knock on every door to ask for their hostages. If the number is over 100, then Israel’s justification for using military force has very few caps.

It is too late to delve into the blame game. At this point, what is essential is how to relocate Gazans while the Gaza Strip is going through a phase of rebuilding.

Conclusion

Gazans deserve to live in settings where they will gain other insights and perspectives. The current state of affairs renders it necessary for the Strip to be decongested at the very least. There are three options. One is to live in a buffer zone until Gazans are ready to return to a rebuilt Gaza. The second is to move Gazans into Egypt and Jordan on a transit visa where they would either have to move to another country in a given period of time or return to Gazan. The third is to create a broad sponsorship system that will allow Gazans who fall in certain categories to apply and gain the support to build a life elsewhere. Relocation is possible and the US should have considered it much earlier as a prelude to ending this devastating war.