Thousands of Egyptians rallied near the border with the Gaza Strip on Tuesday in a show of solidarity with the Palestinians and to underline Cairo’s rejection of President Donald Trump‘s proposal for moving people out of the territory.

Why It Matters

The protests are a sign of Egypt’s growing concern over the proposal for moving Palestinians out of the Gaza Strip, which has been devastated by war since Hamas attacked Israel from there in October 2023. Egypt, which once ruled Gaza, has been proposed as a potential destination for some of its residents.

Trump doubled down on the plan on Monday in comments at the White House at a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The aim would be to relocate Gaza’s population and turn the territory into a prime real estate project. The proposal was swiftly rejected by Egypt, Jordan, and other Arab U.S. allies, who called instead for an end to the war and a return to a path to the so-called two-state solution for a Palestinian state alongside Israel.

What To Know

Thousands of Egyptians marched in Al-Arish, about 30 miles from the Rafah border crossing with Gaza, state media Al-Ahram reported.

Demonstrators chanted “Gaza is in our heart” and held signs reading “No to the displacement of the Palestinians” and “Sinai is a red line.” The rallies, organized by pro-government political groups, coincided with French President Emmanuel Macron‘s visit to the country.

At a Monday press conference with Netanyahu, Trump reiterated his proposal for U.S. control of Gaza and the voluntary relocation of Palestinians, a plan he previously described as turning Gaza into the “Riviera of the Middle East,” drawing condemnation from opponents.

The leaders of Egypt, France, and Jordan in a joint call urged Trump to back a Gaza ceasefire, humanitarian aid access, and the release of Israeli hostages being held by Hamas. They stressed the need for a political path, international efforts to ease Palestinian suffering, and a two-state solution, according to Egypt’s presidential spokesperson.

President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi allowed rare access to the military-restricted north Sinai on Tuesday, following earlier demonstrations. His political opponents have likewise denounced Trump’s proposal.

A ceasefire deal brokered by the U.S., Egypt, and Qatar collapsed in March. The U.S. has since backed Israel’s resumption of its offensive after Hamas refused to release remaining hostages from the October 7, 2023 attack.

What People Are Saying

U.S. President Donald Trump from Oval Office Monday: “You know how I feel about the Gaza Strip: I think it’s an incredible piece of important real estate and I think it’s something that we would be involved in. Having a peace force like the United States there controlling and owning the Gaza Strip would be a good thing because right now all it is, for years and years, all I hear about is killing and Hamas and problems. If you take the people, the Palestinians, and move them around to different countries, and you have plenty of countries that will do that, you really have a freedom zone, a zone where people aren’t gona be killed every day. I call it a great location that nobody wants to live in.”

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi on Monday, as quoted by Al-Ahram: “We agreed on rejecting any calls for the displacement of Palestinians from their land. We stressed the urgent need for an immediate return to a ceasefire, the swift delivery of humanitarian aid, and the release of captives.”

French President Emmanuel Macron on X, Monday: “France strongly supports the reconstruction plan for Gaza and the goal of Palestinian governance led by the Palestinian Authority, excluding Hamas.”

What Happens Next

Both the U.S. and Egypt are working on securing a new Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement that could see the release of Israeli hostages and the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza. While implementation of Trump’s proposal is far from certain, it puts more pressure on regional leaders to come up with alternatives that would sideline Hamas.