Marco Rubio denies alleged US plans to deport Gazans to Libya

ISTANBUL

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.

"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,' Rubio told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “Are there countries in the region willing to accept them for some period of time?"

Rubio described potential relocations as temporary measures to alleviate humanitarian suffering rather than permanent resettlement.

"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," Rubio said, characterizing the arrangements as "a bridge towards reconstruction."

Rubio said Washington asked some countries whether they would be willing to accept Gazans for an interim period. He said he is not aware of discussions involving Libya.

The US Embassy in Libya reinforced that stance Sunday, calling reports about relocating Palestinians to Libya "completely baseless."

The denials follow a report Friday by NBC News that suggested the Trump administration 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 victims and injured 9,647 in Gaza, following a broken January ceasefire. The death toll since October 2023 stands at approximately 53,000.