Egypt, Qatar vow to block forced displacement of Palestinians

Egypt and Qatar have pledged firm opposition to any attempt to forcibly displace Palestinians, as the prime ministers of the two countries met in New Alamein city on Egypt's Mediterranean coast on Thursday.

A cabinet statement said Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and his Qatari counterpart, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman, reaffirmed their “categorical rejection” of proposals to transfer Gaza’s population and stressed coordination with the US to secure an immediate ceasefire and allow humanitarian aid.

Egypt has also been pushing a $53 billion Gaza reconstruction plan, adopted by the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in March. The five-year project, dismissed by Israel and the US, aims to rebuild Gaza without displacing its residents.

Israel promoted scenarios linked to President Donald Trump’s plan to transfer Palestinians to neighbouring states, a proposal rejected by Egypt, Jordan, and other regional actors.

Efforts toward ceasefire

The talks came amid renewed mediation for a Gaza ceasefire.

On August 18, the Palestinian resistance group Hamas accepted a ceasefire proposal from mediators, with Israeli media saying it mirrored a plan by US envoy Steve Witkoff to exchange 10 captives and 18 bodies for a 60-day truce and talks to end the war.

Reports said Israeli forces could redeploy near the border to facilitate aid.

Hamas has reiterated its readiness to release all captives in exchange for ending the war, Israeli withdrawal, and the release of Palestinian prisoners.