U.S. Denies Reports of Relocating Palestinians to Libya

On May 16, 2025, NBC News reported that the Trump administration was exploring a plan to relocate one million Palestinians from Gaza to Libya.

The report cited five sources with knowledge of the plan. The Trump administration allegedly discussed the plan with Libya’s leadership, according to a former U.S. official and two people with direct knowledge.

The report also alleged that, in exchange, the U.S. would release to Libya billions of dollars it froze more than a decade ago, after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi, which could be used to fund housing and stipends for relocated Palestinians.

NBC stated that Israel had been kept informed about the plan.

The report ignited a media firestorm, with many reputable outlets amplifying the claim within hours following NBC’s report, including The Independent, Sky News, and the Turkish Anadolu Agency.

Israeli outlets also amplified the claims, with the two most influential English-language outlets — The Jerusalem Post and The Times of Israel — echoing the claim.

U.S. Embassy in Libya, U.S. Officials, and Hamas Deny the Plan

A day after it published its report, NBC News corrected its allegations in a post on X, citing a spokesperson for the State Department and the National Security Council. “These reports are untrue,” the spokesperson confirmed, adding that the situation in Libya is “untenable for such a plan. Such a plan was not discussed and makes no sense.”

Two days following the NBC News report, the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli denied the report outright.

The embassy quoted NBC News' correction post, stating: “The report of alleged plans to relocate Gazans to Libya is untrue.”

Senior Hamas official Basem Naim confirmed to NBC News that the group was unaware of any discussions about relocating Palestinians to Libya.

Naim stressed in his response that Palestinians are “very rooted in their homeland” and ready to “sacrifice anything to defend their land.” He then asserted that Palestinians alone have the right to decide their fate.

On the other hand, Libyan officials did not confirm having talks with the U.S. regarding the alleged plan. However, analysts noted that Libya’s instability makes such a plan unrealistic.

“An expensive nightmare,” David Burbach, an associate professor at the U.S. Naval War College, described the alleged plan. Burbach noted that Libya is an active war zone and has a population of approximately seven million, adding that Libya cannot absorb refugees at the moment.

Allegations Target Libya Over Plans To Receive Palestinians

The alleged plan to resettle Palestinians in Libya follows U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to “take over” Gaza, which he floated in February 2025.

Following the announcement of his plan, rumors began circulating on social media and in major media outlets that certain countries had allegedly discussed or agreed to receive Palestinians from Gaza.

Libya was at the center of these allegations.

In early March 2025, the American Thinker published a report claiming that Libya's Government of National Unity (GNU) had offered to accept between 100,000 and 200,000 Palestinian refugees from Gaza.

Swiftly following the allegation, the Prime Minister’s office issued a statement categorically denying the claim, describing the American Thinker as a “marginal platform with no credibility that promotes lies about Libya.”

The office said the allegations had “never been issued by any official Libyan body,” describing them as “completely fabricated.”

The statement added that the report’s writer, Jerome Corsi, is not a “professional journalist and has a record of publishing misleading information that has no credible sources.”

The Libyan House of Representatives (HoR) also dismissed these allegations as “unacceptable allegations,” describing them as part of ongoing efforts to forcibly displace Palestinians, which the HoR said constitute a war crime under international law.

The HoR reaffirmed Libya's position against any plan to resettle Palestinians or undermine their right to return, warning against attempts to involve Libya in projects that could threaten Palestinian national rights or the unity of the Arab and Islamic worlds.

Countries Reject Claims of Palestinian Relocation

Apart from Libya, similar rumors targeted several countries such as Albania, Morocco, Jordan, Sudan, Somalia, Somaliland, Egypt, and Indonesia, all of which rejected the claims, with most emphasizing their opposition to the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza.

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