On 18 February, Israel National News, also known as Arutz Sheva (‘Channel 7’, an Israeli media network identifying with religious Zionism), suggested Libya as the best option for a resettlement of the Gaza population. It specifically argued that cooperation with Khalifa Haftar on resettling Gaza’s population would be the ideal option.
On 20 February, during the high-profile opening of the Sports City Stadium in Benghazi, House of Representatives (HoR) Speaker Aqeela Saleh affirmed the total rejection of plans to displace the Palestinians, in light of the repeated calls by US President Donald Trump, and ‘behind him the Israeli occupation authorities,’ to expel the residents of the Gaza Strip to neighbouring countries or other Arab countries, under the pretext of carrying out a reconstruction operation in the Gaza Strip. He stressed that all must declare in a clear voice the total and explicit rejection of the displacement of Palestinians from Gaza and the rest of the Palestinian cities and villages.
On 21 February, the HoR Foreign Affairs Committee strongly rejected Israeli media claims suggesting the resettlement of Palestinians from Gaza to Libya in an official statement, calling them ‘unacceptable allegations.’ It said the claims are baseless and are part of ongoing Israeli efforts to displace Palestinians by force, which constitutes a war crime under international law. Libya will not participate in plans to resettle Palestinians or undermine their right of return. The committee affirmed the position of the Libyan state, its leadership, and people in supporting the Palestinian cause and the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and the establishment of their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital in accordance with international legitimacy resolutions.
On 22 February, Saleh reiterated the complete and explicit rejection of attempts to displace Palestinians from Gaza in his speech at the opening of the seventh conference of the Arab Parliament in Cairo.