Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has reportedly informed Arab leaders that he is open to temporarily relocating up to 500,000 Gaza residents to northern Sinai as part of a broader reconstruction plan for the war-torn enclave, according to a report published Friday in the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar.

Sissi’s reported stance was allegedly conveyed during recent meetings of Arab leaders in Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Publicly, however, both Sissi and Jordan’s King Abdullah have rejected any suggestion that their countries would accept Palestinian refugees on a permanent basis. They have opposed U.S. President Donald Trump’s purported vision of emptying Gaza’s population and transforming the Strip into a resort-like “riviera,” citing concerns that a large-scale Palestinian influx could destabilize their nations.

The issue of Gaza’s future governance has been a focal point in multiple summits held by Arab leaders over the past two months. These meetings took place during a temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which collapsed this week. At an Arab League summit in Cairo in early March, Egypt formally presented its reconstruction proposal, emphasizing that it does not involve permanently displacing Gaza residents.

Under Egypt’s plan, an independent technocratic committee would oversee Gaza for six months before handing governance over to the Palestinian Authority. The proposal does not explicitly mention Hamas but states that the future of all armed groups in Gaza should be resolved through a political process aimed at achieving a Palestinian state.

Reports from Arab media indicate that any internal relocation of Gazans would be limited to clearing rubble and rebuilding devastated neighborhoods. A United Nations analysis from September estimated that more than two-thirds of Gaza’s structures have been damaged or destroyed in the ongoing war.

The Trump administration has sent conflicting messages regarding the Egypt-led Arab plan for post-war Gaza. While Trump initially spoke about his vision of relocating Gaza’s more than two million residents, recent remarks from U.S. officials suggest a shift. On March 7, U.S. special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff called the Arab proposal a “good-faith first step” with “compelling features.” However, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce later dismissed it as “inadequate.” Last week, during a press conference with the Irish prime minister, Trump insisted, “Nobody is expelling any Palestinians from Gaza.”

Meanwhile, the Israeli government has been promoting a separate initiative aimed at encouraging Palestinian emigration from Gaza. Earlier this month, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced that the government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, is working to establish a “migration administration” tasked with facilitating Palestinian departures from Gaza.

“This plan is taking shape, with ongoing actions in coordination with the administration,” Smotrich stated. “It involves identifying key countries, understanding their interests—both with the U.S. and with us—and fostering cooperation.”

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