The US Embassy in Libya has denied media reports of plans or efforts to transfer residents of the Gaza Strip to Libya, stressing that this news is false. In a brief statement published on its official account on the X platform on Friday, the embassy said: "Fake news: The embassy confirms that allegations that the United States is seeking to transfer residents of Gaza to Libya are inflammatory and completely false." The US denial comes after the conclusion of a two-day visit to Libya by the US Special Advisor to the President for Middle East and Africa, Massad Boulos, during which he met in Tripoli last Wednesday with the head of the Presidential Council, Mohammed Al-Menfi, and the head of the interim Government of National Unity, Abdul Hamid Dabaiba. He then visited Benghazi the following day, where he met with retired Libyan General Khalifa Haftar and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aguila Saleh.
The US Embassy issued a similar statement on May 18, denying an NBC News report about US plans to transfer Gaza residents to Libya. The embassy said at the time that "the report about alleged plans to transfer Gaza residents to Libya is false." The US channel relied on five sources it said were informed, who reported that the Trump administration was working on a plan to permanently transfer up to one million Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to Libya. The report stated that the plan was under consideration and being discussed with the Libyan side, without naming the Libyan parties involved.
Reports of Washington's intention to support the transfer of Gaza residents to several countries, including Libya, had previously been circulated by international media outlets and were met with negative reactions from Libya. On February 21, the Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Committee of the Libyan House of Representatives issued a statement rejecting what it described as "involving Libya" in projects aimed at deporting residents of the Gaza Strip. The committee affirmed that the allegations circulating in the Israeli media on this subject are "unacceptable," noting that Libya is not interested in any arrangements related to the resettlement of the Palestinian population on its territory.
On February 6, the two Libyan governments—the interim Government of National Unity in Tripoli and the government appointed by the House of Representatives in the east—issued statements announcing similar positions. The government in Benghazi affirmed its absolute rejection of any attempts at forced displacement or resettlement of Palestinians within Libyan territory and called on the international community to reject such proposals. The government in Tripoli also categorically rejected any policies aimed at changing the demographic composition of the Palestinian territories or transferring the population of the Gaza Strip to other countries, emphasizing its commitment to international legitimacy resolutions and supporting the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.
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The US Embassy denies reports of the transfer of Gaza residents to Libya.