Washington: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio rejected claims Tuesday that Washington is planning to deport Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to Libya, emphasizing that any relocation discussions involve only voluntary arrangements.
According to Anadolu Agency, Rubio clarified that the discussions are focused on voluntary relocation, not deportation. He told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, "No, there's no deportation. What we have talked to some nations about is if someone voluntarily and willingly says: 'I want to go somewhere else,' are there countries in the region willing to accept them for some period of time?"
Rubio further described these potential relocations as temporary measures intended to alleviate humanitarian suffering rather than as permanent resettlement. He stated, "You don't want people trapped there ... They may want to come back, they may want to live there in the future, but right now, they can't," characterizing the arrangements as "a bridge towards reconstruction."
Inquiries have been made by Washington to some countries regarding their willingness to accept Gazans temporarily. Rubio mentioned that he is not aware of any discussions involving Libya in this context.
The US Embassy in Libya reinforced Rubio's statements, describing reports about relocating Palestinians to Libya as "completely baseless." These denials come in response to a report by NBC News, which suggested the Trump administration had considered permanently relocating up to 1 million Gazans to Libya in exchange for unfreezing billions in Libyan assets.
Since March 18, the Israeli army has killed 3,427 individuals and injured 9,647 in Gaza, following a broken January ceasefire. The death toll since October 2023 stands at approximately 53,000.